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Vol.  V.  The  Glory  of  God  is  Intelligence.  ^O      7 

IMPROVEMENT 
ERA. 

Organ  of  Young   Men^s  Mutual  Improvement   Associations. 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE3  GENERAL  BOARD. 

Joseph  F  Smith,       >  Editor*.  Heber  J.  Grant,  /  Business 

Edw.H.  ANDERSON.  j«°«*"^»-  Thos.  HULL.  \     Manager.. 

M:AY,  1902. 

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Portrait  of  Honorable  B.  H.  Roberts ProTdispiece 

History  of  the  Prophet  Joseph Lucy  Smith  48i 

The  Cornerstone  of  Character Selected  499 

How  Shall  we  Find  the  Sabbath  of  Profit?  Col.  R.  M.  Bryce  Thomas  500 

Prayer.     A  Poem George  W.  Crocheron  508 

The  Castle  Builder.    Part  H,  I-F Nephi  Anderson  509 

Know  Thyself Selected  f,22 

Some  Features  of  Japanese  Life.    II Abna  0.  Taylor  528 

Portraits  of  Mission  Life  in  Japan Taken  for  the  Era 

A  Parable W.  A.  Hyde  528 

Poetry  ;  Is  it  Out  of  Date  ? Bishop  Orson  F.  Whitney  529 

Results  of  Obedience , Apostle  Heber  J.  Grant  540 

What  Address  Will  it  BE? J.H.Ward  543 

Some  Leading  Events  in  the  Current  Story 

OP  the  World — Cecil  Rhodes — The  New 

Republic— Sugar Dr.  J.  M.  Tanner  545 

Editor's  Table  —The   Priesthood  and  its  Of-    f  Joseph  F.  Smith 

fices <  John  R.  Winder  549 

[_Anthon  A.  Lund 

B.  H.  Roberts 55I 

Answers  TO  Questions— Why  Children   are 

Baptized  When  Eight  Years  Old 553 

Notes 555 

Our  Work— General  Conference  of  the  Mut- 
ual Improvement  Associations — The  New 
Manual — Do  Something  During  the  Sum- 
mer   556 

Events  OF  THE  Month....: Thomas  Hull  558 


SALT    I«A.iCB>    OITY: 

214  AND   216   XEIvIPLEXON    BLDG. 


Published  Monthly.  $2.  pef  Annum. 


Provide  for  your  yaitiily, 

■^IP I   I  r—  The  Largest  and 

I    11  L  Strongest  Life 

I    11  r  nsurance  Com 

■    ■   ■  ■■"  pany  in  the 

World. 

MUTUAL 


LIFE 


OF  NEW  YORK. 

RULON  S.  WELLS,  Manager. 
THOS.  W.  SLOAN,  Cashier. 

S^^ll  Commercial    Bloek. 

SALiT   UnKB    CITY. 


A  BIG  SUIT  SPECIAL 
A  GENUINE  SNAP 


A  BARGAIN.  All  of  our  mall 
order  prices  are  bargains,  but 
this  Is  something  extra,  a  little 
out  of  the  ordinary ,  bought  in 
the  piece  and  made  up  espe- 
cially for  our  trade  for  spring, 
summer  and  fall  wear. 

THE  CLOTH  Is  a  double  and 

twist,  mixed  gray  and  brown, 

woven   In   half-Inch   diagonal 

pattern  .forming  a  slight  stripe, 

very  pretty  and  dressy;   will 

I  ISiorth  IS  00  ^'^^  show  dust;  is  all  wool  and 

*  warranted   to  wear  until  you 

are  more  than  satisfied.    ON  LY  $9.25. 

THE  STYLE.  It  comes  In  round  cut  sack 
style  single  breasted  vest,  coat  lined  with  a 
high  grade  of  Farmer's  satin;  Inside  pockets 
(Bilk  gtliched;  buttonholes  silk  worked,  etc. 
■  verythlng  about  the  suit  stamps  It  as  of 
high  quality  and  better  than  can  be  had  else- 
where for  much  more  money. 

SEND  ONE  DOLLAR  and  your  express 
office  address  and  we  will  send  the  suit  to 
Tou;  you  have  full  privilege  of  examination 
•efore  you  pay  another  cent.  If  you  are  sat- 
tfifled  and  find  everything  as  represented, 
pay  the  express  agent  $8.25  and  express 
charges  In  addition  to  the  $1.00  you  sent  with 
four  order,  and  ki  ep  the  bargain. 

gIZES.  You  win  get  your  size  without  dlffl- 
etflt^.  Send  breast  measure  for  the  coat  and 
rest  also  size  of  coat  usually  worn,  and  waist 
and  Inseam  for  the  pants.  Remember  this 
Suit  is  oniy  $9.25,  wortli  at  ieast 
SI9.00.  Samples  of  toe  cloth  may  be  had 
oa  applicatlou 

IVEST'S  MAIL    ORDER  HOUSE, 

*  Offices  205-206  Witiingham  Block. 


JOHI C.  McCLmil.  Prist.    THEO  T.  BURTOI,  Sec    N.  J.  BURTII,  Tnai 

BURTON   COAli 
-NO  LUIWBER  CO. 

GOAL 


ALL  KINDS 
CK 


ALL  KINDS  OF  LUMBER 
Wholesale  and  Retail. 

LUMBER   IN  CAR   LOTS  A  SPECIALTY. 


Office,  60  W,  Second  South  Street. 

Yards,  Cor.  Fifth  South  and  Third  West  Sts. 

Telephone  805. 


THE. 


STATE  BUNKofOTAH 

fleeounts  Solleited. 
Copvespondenee   Invited* 

OFFICERS  AND  DIKECTOR8. 

Joseph  F.  Smith,  President. 

Wm.  B.  Preston,  Vice-President. 

Charles  s.  Burton,  Cashier. 

Henry  T.  McEwan,  Asst.  Cashier 
Heber  J.  Grant  Phllo  T.  Farnsworth 

A.  W.  Carlson  Heber  M.  Wells 

Byron  Groo  Isaac  Barton 

Keep  jllloney  at  Home 


By  Insuring 

in  the  —       — 


HOME 
FIRE 
UTAH 


Don't 
Carry 
Your 
Own 
Risk. 


OF 


H6D6r  J.  Grant  &  60., 

GENERAL  AGENTS. 

20-26  South  Main  St..  Salt  Lake  City,  Utmh. 


(WHBN  warriNa  to  advbrtisbbb  plbabb  mbntiois  thb  bra.) 


Y 

? 

1* 

T 
T 


t 

T 

t 
t 
t 

Y 
t 
t 
t 
t 
t 
Y 
Y 

*♦* 

♦ 

± 


ONCE  AGAIN 

I  am  before  the  public  for  a  share  of  its  patronage. 

1  have  purchased  Newland  &  McGraw's  business  at 

2  2  and  24  West  ist  South,  where  it  is  my  purpose«to 
build  up  the  only  first-class  Family  Meat  Market  in 
the  city.  My  former  success  is  my  guarantee  that 
I  will  accomplish  what  I  set  forth  to  do. 

Correspondence  solicited  from  Farmers.  Stock 
Dealers  and  Stores,  whether  they  have  anything  for 
sale,  or  they  need  anything  in  my  line.  Satisfaction 
guaranteed  in  all  transactions. 

J.  m.  MARRIOTT, 

'Phones  230  and  282.  22=24  West  First  South  St. 


I 

I 

I 

? 

*f 

i 

t 

f 

f 

y 

f 

Y 


Y 


GO-OP.  FUHIIITUHE  GO. 

31  to  35  IBain  Street, 

SJLLT   LAKE   OITY,    UTAH 


Are  headquarters  for  Fine 
Fornitore,  Carpets,  Art  Squares 
and  Rugs.  Star  Estate  Steel 
Ranges,  Heaters,  etc.  We  are 
he  sole  agents  for  the  only- 
sensible  dust  shields. 

You  get  from  us  just'  what 
you  buy.  Wc  make  no  sub- 
stitutes. 


WM.  N.  WILLIAMS,  Superintent. 
O.  H.  PKTTIT,  Treasurer. 


The  Leading 
Music  Dealers 


PlflHOS  ^'  OHGflflS 


CATALOQUES  FREE. 

74  Mam  St.       j-  j ■  ^^^^^^^  j-^  ^^^^^^^ 


(WHBN  WRITINO  TO  ADVHRTlSKItS  PI^EASE  MKNl  ION  THE  ERA.) 


M.  L  A.  Wo'-kers  ^ 

Are  Doubly  Equipped, 
Having  ,^  S  ^ 

A  Business  Education 

With  it  they  can  earn  enougfh  in  six 
days  so  that  they  need  not  work  on 
SUNDAY. 

Ten  students  from  the  SALT  LAKE 
BUSINESS  COLLEGE  get  employ- 
ment where  one  from  all  its  competi- 
tors combined  is  so  fortunate.  The 
school  occupies  the  entire  top  floor  of 
the  bank  building  shown  in  the  cut 
below. 
SEND     FOR     CATALOQ;     IT     IS     RREE. 

SALT  LAKE  BUSINESS  COLLEGE, 

TEMPLETON,    (i'°N''KVuiLiiNl.)  ^ALT  LAKE  CITY. 


JOSEPH  NELSON,  President, 


J.  R.  CLARK,  Secretary 


SAVE  YOUR  MONEY,  AND  WHEN  YOD  GET  A  DOLLflR  DEPOSIT  IT  WITH 
ZION'S    SAVINGS     BANK    &    TRUST    COHPANY. 

4  Per  Cent  Interest  Paid 
on  |i.  to  $5,000. 


OFpiCHHS. 

Joseph  F.  Smith, 

President 
Anthon  H.  Lund 

Vice-President. 
George  M.  Cannon, 

Cashier. 
Lewis  M.  Cannon, 

Asst.  Cashier. 
DII^ECTOttS. 

Joseph  F.  Smith 
Anthon  H.  Lund 
George  M.  Cannon 
T.  G.  Webber 
James  Jack 
John  T.  Caine 
Angus  M.Cannon 
Francis  M.  Lyman 
George  Reynolds 
L.  John  Nuttall 
Angus  J.  Cannon 
A.  O.  Woodruff 
Hyrum  M.  Smith 

SAIiT    liAKB   CITY    UTAH. 


No   I,    MAIN    STREET, 


(WHKN  WBITTNG  TO  ADVERTISERS  PLSASB   MENTIOM  THE  ERA.) 


B.    H.    ROBERTS 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 


Vol.  V.  MAY,  1902.  No.  7. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH, 

BY   HIS  MOTHER,   LUCY  SMITH. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

MRS.  HARRIS  PROSECUTES  JOSEPH — EX-PARTE  EXAMINATION. 

About  the  first  of  August,  Samuel  returned  home,  bringing  us 
news  of  Joseph's  success.  This  intelligence  produced  in  Martin 
Harris  a  great  desire  to  go  down  to  Pennsylvania  to  see  how  they 
were  prospering.  This  being  made  known  to  his  wife,  she  resolved 
to  prevent  him  from  going,  also  to  bring  Joseph  into  difficulty, 
which  would  perhaps  hinder  him  from  ever  accomplishing  the  work 
in  which  he  was  engaged. 

To  this  end,  she  undertook  to  prove,  that  Joseph  never  had 
the  Record  which  he  professed  to  have,  and  that  he  pretented  to 
have  in  his  possession  certain  gold  plates,  for  the  express  purpose 
of  obtaining  money.  Accordingly,  she  mounted  her  horse,  rode 
from  house  to  house  through  the  neighborhood,  like  a  dark  spirit, 
making  diligent  inquiry  wherever  she  had  the  least  hopes  of  glean- 
ing anything,  and  stirring  up  every  malicious  feeling  which  would 
tend  to  subserve  her  wicked  purpose.  Having  ascertained  the 
number  and  strength  of  her  adherents,  she  entered  a  complaint 
against  Joseph,  before  a  certain  magistrate   of  Lyons.     She  then 


482  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

sent  word  to  Lyman  Cowdery,  requesting  him  to  come  thither, 
prepared  to  go  post  haste  to  Pennsylvania,  (provided  the  decision 
should  be  given  against  Joseph,)  to  assist  the  officers  in  securing 
and  confining  him  in  prison.  This  call,  Lyman  Cowdery  answered 
immediately,  and  all  things  seemed  going  on  prosperously  with 
Mrs.  Harris.  She  made  affidavit  to  many  things  herself,  and  di- 
rected the  officers  whom  to  subpoena.  Among  the  number  was 
her  husband,  who  was  a  principal  witness  in  the  case. 

When  the  day  of  trial  came  on,  the  neighbors  came  and  in- 
formed us,  that  the  witnesses  had  gone  to  Lyons  with  the  de- 
clared intention  to  obtain  a  verdict  against  Joseph,  if  it  could  be 
done  by  swearing.  Immediately  after  our  friends  left,  Hyrum 
came  in,  and  I  asked  him  what  could  be  done. 

"Why,  mother,"  said  he,  "we  can  do  nothing,  except  to  look 
to  the  Lord:  in  him  is  all  help  and  strength;  he  can  deliver  from 
every  trouble." 

I  had  never  neglected  this  important  duty,  yet,  seeing  such 
confidence  in  my  son,  strengthened  me  in  this  hour  of  trial.  Not 
being  accustomed  to  lawsuits  of  this  character,  I  trembled  for  the 
issue,  for  this  was  the  first  time  a  suit  had  ever  been  preferred 
before  a  court  against  any  of  my  family.  I  retired  to  a  secluded 
place,  and  poured  out  my  whole  soul  in  entreaties  to  God,  for  the 
safety  of  my  son,  and  continued  my  supplication  for  some  time; 
at  length  the  spirit  fell  upon  me  so  powerfully,  that  every  fore- 
boding of  ill  was  entirely  removed  from  my  mind,  and  a  voice 
spoke  to  me,  saying,"not  one  hair  of  his  head  shall  be  harmed."  I 
was  satisfied.  I  arose,  and  repaired  to  the  house.  I  had  never 
before  in  my  life  experienced  such  happy  moments.  I  sat  down 
and  began  to  read,  but  my  feelings  were  too  intense  to  allow  me 
to  do  so.  My  daughter-in-law,  Jerusha,  came  into  the  room  soon 
after  this,  and  when  she  turned  her  eyes  upon  me,  she  stopped 
short,  and  exclaimed,  "Why!  mother!  what  is  the  matter?  1  never 
saw  you  look  so  strangely  in  my  life." 

I  told  her,  that  I  had  never  felt  so  happy  before  in  my  life, 
that  my  heart  was  so  light,  and  my  mind  so  completely  at  rest, 
that  it  did  not  appear  possible  to  me  that  I  should  ever  have  any 
more  trouble  while  I  should  exist.  I  then  informed  her  in  rela- 
tion to  the  witness  which  I  had  received  from  the  Lord. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH.  483 

In  the  evening  the  proceedings  of  the  court  were  rehearsed 
to  us,  which  were  as  follows: 

The  witnesses,  being  duly  sworn,  the  first  arose  and  testified, 
that  Joseph  Smith  told  him  that  the  box  which  he  had,  contained 
nothing  but  sand;  and  he,  Joseph  Smith,  said  it  was  gold,  to  deceive 
the  people. 

Second  witness  swore,  that  Joseph  Smith  had  told  him  that  it 
was  nothing  but  a  box  of  lead,  and  he  was  determined  to  use  it  as 
he  saw  fit. 

Third  witness  declared,  that  he  once  inquired  of  Joseph  Smith 
what  he  had  in  that  box,  and  Joseph  Smith  told  him  that  there  was 
nothing  at  all  in  the  box,  saying,  that  he  had  made  fools  of  the 
whole  of  them,  and  all  he  wanted  was  to  get  Martin  Harris's  money 
away  from  him,  and  that  he  (witness)  was  knowing  to  the  fact 
that  Joseph  Smith  had,  by  his  persuasion,  already  got  two  or  three 
hundred  dollars. 

Next  came  Mrs.  Harris's  affidavit,  in  which  she  stated,  that 
she  believed  the  chief  object  which  Joseph  Smith  had  in  view,  was 
to  defraud  her  husband  out  of  all  his  property,  and  that  she  did 
not  believvs  that  Joseph  Smith  had  ever  been  in  possession  of  the 
gold  plates  which  he  talked  so  much  about. 

The  magistrate  then  forbade  the  introduction  of  any  more  wit- 
nesses, until  Martin  Harris  should  be  sworn.  Martin  being  called 
upon,  testified  with  boldness,  decision  and  energy,  to  a  few  simple 
facts.  When  he  arose  he  raised  his  hand  to  heaven,  and  said,  "I 
can  swear,  that  Joseph  Smith  never  has  got  one  dollar  from  me  by 
persuasion,  since  God  made  me.  I  did  once,  of  my  own  free  will  and 
accord,  put  fifty  dollars  into  his  hands,  in  the  presence  of  many 
witnesses,  for  the  purpose  of  doing  the  work  of  the  Lord.  This, 
I  can  pointedly  prove;  and  I  can  tell  you,  furthermore,  that  I  have 
never  seen  in  Joseph  Smith,  a  disposition  to  take  any  man's  money, 
without  giving  him  a  reasonable  compensation  for  the  same  in 
return.  And  as  to  the  plates  which  he  professes  to  have,  gentle- 
men, if  you  do  not  believe  it,  but  continue  to  resist  the  truth,  it 
will  one  day  be  the  means  of  damning  your  souls." 

After  hearing  this  testimony,  the  magistrate  told  them  they 
need  not  call  any  more  witnesses,  but  ordered  them  to  bring  him 
what  had  been  written  of  the  testimony  already  given.     This  he 


484  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

tore  in  pieces  before  their  eyes,  and  told  them  to  go  home  about 
their  business,  and  trouble  him  no  more  with  such  ridiculous  folly. 
And  they  did  go  home  perfectly  discomfitted, 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

JOSEPH  AND  OLIVER   REMOVE  TO  WATERLOO — THEY  FINISH  THE 
TRANSLATION. 

We  will  now  return  to  Pennsylvania  where  we  left  Joseph 
and  Oliver  busily  engaged  in  translating  the  Record. 

After  Samuel  left  them,  they  still  continued  the  work  as  be- 
fore, until  about  the  time  of  the  proceedings  that  took  place  in 
Lyons,  New  York.  Near  this  time,  as  Joseph  was  translating  by 
means  of  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  he  received  instead  of  the  words 
of  the  Book,  a  commandment  to  write  a  letter  to  a  man  by  the 
name  of  David  Whitmer,  who  lived  in  Waterloo,  requesting  him  to 
come  immediately  with  his  team,  and  convey  himself  and  Oliver  to 
his  own  residence ,  as  an  evil-designing  people  were  seeking  to  take 
away  his  (Joseph's)  life,  in  order  to  prevent  the  work  of  God  from 
going  forth  to  the  world.  The  letter  was  written  and  delivered, 
and  was  shown  by  Mr.  Whitmer  to  his  father,  mother,  brothers, 
and  sisters,  and  their  advice  was  asked  in  regard  to  the  best 
course  for  him  to  take  in  relation  to  the  matter. 

His  father  reminded  him  that  he  had  as  much  wheat  sown 
upon  the  ground  as  he  could  harrow  in  two  days,  at  least;  besides 
this,  he  had  a  quantity  of  plaster  of  paris  to  spread,  which  must 
be  done  immediately,  consequently  he  could  not  go,  unless  he  could 
get  a  witness  from  God  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary. 

This  suggestion  pleased  David,  and  he  asked  the  Lord  for  a 
testimony  concerning  his  going  for  Joseph,  and  was  told  by  the 
voice  of  the  Spirit  to  go  as  soon  as  his  wheat  was  harrowed  in. 
The  next  morning,  David  went  to  the  field,  and  found  that  he  had 
two  heavy  days'  work  before  him.  He  then  said  to  himself  that, 
if  he  should  be  enabled,  by  any  means,  to  do  this  work  sooner  than 
the  same  had  ever  been  done  on  the  farm  before,  he  would  receive 
it  as  an  evidence,  that  it  was  the  will  of  God,  that  he  should  do  all 
in  his  power  to  assist  Joseph  Smith  in  the  work  in  which  he  was 
engaged.     He  then  fastened  his  horses  to  the  harrow,  and  instead 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH.  485 

of  dividing  the  field  into  what  is,  by  farmers,  usually  termed  lands, 
drove  around  the  whole  of  it,  continuing  thus  till  noon,  when, 
on  stopping  for  dinner,  he  looked  around,  and  discovered  to 
his  surprise,  that  he  had  harrowed  in  full  half  the  wheat.  After 
dinner  he  went  on  as  before,  and  by  evening  he  finished  the  whole 
two  days'  work. 

His  father,  on  going  into  the  field  the  same  evening,  saw  what 
had  been  done,  and  he  exclaimed,  "There  must  be  an  overruling 
hand  in  this,  and  I  think  you  would  better  go  down  to  Pennsylvania 
as  soon  as  your  plaster  of  paris  is  sown." 

The  next  morning,David  took  a  wooden  measure  under  his  arm 
and  went  out  to  sow  the  plaster,  which  he  had  left,  two  days  pre- 
vious, in  heaps  near  his  sister's  house,  but,  on  coming  to  the  place, 
he  discovered  that  it  was  gone!  He  then  ran  to  his  sister,  and  in- 
quired of  her  if  she  knew  what  had  become  of  it.  Being  surprised 
she  said,  "Why  do  you  ask  me?  was  it  not  all  sown  yesterday?" 

"Not  to  my  knowledge,"  answered  David. 

"I  am  astonished  at  that,"  replied  his  sister,  "for  the  chil- 
dren came  to  me  in  the  forenoon,  and  begged  of  me  to  go  out  and 
see  the  men  sow  plaster  in  the  field,  saying,  that  they  never  saw 
anybody  sow  plaster  so  fast  in  their  lives.  I  accordingly  went,and 
saw  three  men  at  work  in  the  field,  as  the  children  said,  but,  sup- 
posing that  you  had  hired  some  help,  on  account  of  your  hurry,  I 
went  immediately  into  the  house,  and  gave  the  subject  no  further 
attention." 

Daviijmade  considerable  inquiry  in  regard  to  the  matter,both 
among  his  relatives  and  neighbors,  but  was  not  able  to  learn  who 
had  done  it.  However,  the  family  were  convinced  that  there  was 
an  exertion  of  supernatural  power  connected  with  this  strange  oc- 
currence, 

David  immediately  set  out  for  Pennsylvania,  and  arrived  there 
in  two  days,  without  injuring  his  horses  in  the  least,  though  the 
distance  was  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  miles.  When  he  arrived, 
he  was  under  the  necessity  of  introducing  himself  to  Joseph,  as 
this  was  the  first  time  that  they  had  ever  met. 

I  will  observe,  that  the  only  acquaintance  which  existed  be- 
tween the  Smith  and  Whitmer  families,  was  that  formed  by  Mr. 
Smith   and  myself,  when  on  our  way  from  Manchester  to  Penn- 


486  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

sylvania  to  visit  Joseph,  at  which  time  we  stopped  with  David  over 
night  and  gave  him  a  brief  history  of  the  Record. 

When  Joseph  commenced  making  preparations  for  the  jour- 
ney, he  inquired  of  the  Lord  to  know  in  what  manner  he  should 
carry  the  plates.  The  answer  was,  that  he  should  commit  them 
into  the  hands  of  an  angel,  for  safety,  and  after  arriving  at  Mr. 
Whitmer's  the  angel  would  meet  him  in  the  garden  and  deliver 
them  up  again  into  his  hands. 

Joseph  and  Oliver  set  out  without  delay,  leaving  Emma  to 
take  charge  of  affairs  during  her  husband's  absence.  On  arriving 
at  Waterloo,  Joseph  received  the  Record  according  to  promise. 
The  next  day,  he  and  Oliver  resumed  the  work  of  translation,  which' 
they  continued  without  further  interruption  until  the  whole  work 
was  accomplished. 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  PLATES  ARE  SHOWN  TO   TWELVE     WITNESSES — JOSEPH  MAKES 
ARRANGEMENTS   FOR  PRINTING  THE  BOOK   OF  MORMON. 

As  soon  as  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  translated,  Joseph  des- 
patched a  messenger  to  Mr.  Smith,  bearing  intelligence  of  the  com- 
pletion of  the  work,  and  a  request  that  Mr.  Smith  and  myself  should 
come  immediately  to  Waterloo. 

The  same  evening,  we  conveyed  'this  intelligence  to  Martin 
Harris,  for  we  loved  the  man,  although  his  weakness  had  cost  us 
much  trouble.  Hearing  this,  he  greatly  rejoiced,  and  determined 
to  go  straightway  to  Waterloo  to  congratulate  Joseph  upon  his 
success.  Accordingly,  the  next  morning,  we  all  set  off  together, 
and  before  sunset  met  Joseph  and  Oliver  at  Mr.  Whitmer's. 

The  evening  was  spent  in  reading  the  manuscript,  and  it  would 
be  superfluous  for  me  to  say,  to  one  who  has  read  the  foregoing 
pages,  that  we  rejoiced  exceedingly.  It  then  appeared  to  those  of 
us  who  did  not  realize  the  magnitude  of  the  work,  as  if  the  great- 
est difficulty  was  then  surmounted;  but  Joseph  better  understood 
the  nature  of  the  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  which  was  committed 
unto  him. 

The  next  morning,  after  attending  to  the  usual  services, 
namely,  reading,  singing  and  praying,  Joseph  arose  from  his  knees, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH.  487 

and  approaching  Martin  Harris  with  a  solemnity  that  thrills  through 
my  veins  to  this  day,  'when  -it  occurs  to  my  recollection,  said, 
"Martin  Harris,  you  have  got  to  humble  yourself  before  God  this 
day,  that  you  may  obtain  a  forgiveness  of  your  sins.  If  you  do, 
it  is  the  will  of  God  that  you  should  look  upon  the  plates,  in  com- 
pany with  Oliver  Cowdery  and  David  Whitmer." 

In  a  few  minutes  after  this,  Joseph,  Martin,  Oliver  and  David, 
repaired  to  a  grove,  a  short  distance  from  the  house,  where  they 
commenced  calling  upon  the  Lord,  and  continued  in  earnest  sup- 
plication, until  he  permitted  an  angel  to  come  down  from  his  pres- 
ence, and  declare  to  them,  that  all  which  Joseph  had  testified  of 
concerning  the  plates  was  true. 

When  they  returned  to  the  house  it  was  between  three  and 
four  o'clock  p.m.  Mrs.  Whitmer,  Mr.  Smith  and  myselt,  were  sit- 
ting in  a  bedroom  at  the  time.  On  coming  in,  Joseph  threw  him- 
self down  beside  me,  and  exclaimed,  "Father,  mother,  you  do  not 
know  how  happy  I  am:  the  Lord  has  now  caused  the  plates  to  be 
shown  to  three  more  besides  myself.  They  have  seen  an  angel, 
who  has  testified  to  them,  and  they  will  have  to  bear  witness  to  the 
truth  of  what  I  have  said,  for  now  they  know  for  themselves,  that 
I  do  not  go  about  to  deceive  the  people,  and  I  feel  as  if  I  was  re- 
lieved of  a  burden  which  was  almost  too  heavy  for  me  to  bear,  and 
it  rejoices  my  soul,  that  I  am  not  any  longer  to  be  entirely  alone 
in  the  world."  Upon  this,  Martin  Harris  came  in:  he  seemed  almost 
overcome  with  joy,  and  testified  boldly  to  what  he  had  both  seen 
and  heard.  And  so  did  David  and  Oliver,  adding,  that  no  tongue 
could  express  the  joy  of  their  hearts,  and  the  greatness  of  the 
things  which  they  had  both  seen  and  heard. 

Their  written  testimony,  which  is  contained  in  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  is  as  follows: — 

THE   TESTIMONY  OF   THREE   WITNESSES. 

Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues,  and  people,  unto 
whom  this  work  shall  come,  that  we,  through  the  grace  of  God  the  Father, 
and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  have  seen  the  plates  which  contain  this 
Record,  which  is  a  Record  of  the  people  of  Nephi,  and  also  of  the  Laman- 
ites,  their  brethren,  and  also  of  the  people  of  Jared,  who  came  from  the 
tower,  of  which  hath  been  spoken;  and  we  also  know  that  they  have  been 
translated  by  the  gift  and  power  of  God,  for  his  voice  hath  declared  it 


488  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

unto  us;  wherefore  we  know  of  a  surety  that  the  work  is  true.  And  we 
also  testify  that  we  have  seen  the  engravings  which  are  upon  the  plates; 
and  they  have  been  shown  unto  us  by  the  power  of  God,  and  not  of  man. 
And  we  declare,  with  words  of  soberness,  that  an  angel  of  God  came 
down  from  heaven,  and  he  brought  and  laid  before  our  eyes,  that  we  be- 
held and  saw  the  plates,  and  the  engravings  thereon;  and  we  know  that 
it  is  by  the  grace  of  God  the  Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  we 
beheld  and  bear  record  that  these  things  are  true;  and  it  is  marvelous  in 
our  eyes,  nevertheless,  the  voice  of  ■  the  Lord  commanded  us  that  we 
should  bear  record  of  it;  wherefore,  to  be  obedient  unto  the  command- 
"mt-nts  of  God,  we  bear  testimony  of  these  things.  And  we  know  that  if 
we  are  faithful  in  Christ,  we  shall  rid  our  garments  of  the  blood  of  all 
men,  and  be  found  spotless  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  and  shall 
dwell  with  him  eternally  in  the  heavens.  And  the  honor  be  to  the  Father, 
and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  is  one  God.     Amen. 

Oliver  Cowdery, 
David  Whitmer, 
Martin  Harris. 

The  following  day,  we  returned,  a  cheerful,  happy  company. 
In  a  few  days,  we  were  followed  by  Joseph,  Oliver  and  the  Whit- 
mers,  who  came  to  make  us  a  visit,  and  make  some  arrangements 
about  getting  the  book  printed.  Soon  after  they  came,  all  the 
male  part  of  the  company,  with  my  husband,  Samuel  and  Hyrum, 
retired  to  a  place  where  the  family  were  in  the  habit  of  offering 
up  their  secret  devotions  to  God.  They  went  to  this  place,  because 
it  had  been  revealed  to  Joseph  that  the  plates  would  be  carried 
thither  by  one  of  the  ancient  Nephites.  Here  it  was,  that  those 
eight  witnesses,  whose  names  are  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
looked  upon  them  and  handled  them.  Of  which  they  bear  record 
in  the  following  words: — 

THE  TESTIMONY   OF   EIGHT   WITNESSES. 

Be  it  known  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues,  and  people,  unto 
whom  this  work  shall  come,  that  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  the  translator  of  this 
work,  has  shown  unto  us  the  plates  of  which  hath  leen  spoken,  which 
have  the  appearance  of  gold;  and  as  many  of  the  leaves  as  the  said  Smith 
has  translated,  we  did  handle  with  our  hands;  and  we  also  saw  the  en- 
gravings thereon,  all  of  which  has  the  appearance  of  ancient  work,  and 
of  curious  workmanship.  And  this  we  bear  record,  with  words  of  sober- 
ness, that  the  said  Smith  has  shown  unto  us,  for  we  have  seen  and  hefted, 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH.  489 

and  know  of  a  surety,  that  the  said  Smith  has  got  the  plates  of  which 
we  have  spoken.  And  we  give  our  names  unto  the  world,  to  witness 
unto  the  world  that  which  we  have  seen;  and  we  lie  not,  God  bearing 
witness  of  it. 

Christian  Whitmer,  Hiram  Page, 

Jacob  Whitmer,  Joseph  Smith,  Sen., 

Peter  Whitmer,  Jun.,  Hyrum  Smith, 

John  Whitmer,  Samuel  H.  Smith. 

After  these  witnesses  returned  to  the  house,  the  angel  again 
made  his  appearance  to  Joseph,  at  which  time  Joseph  delivered 
up  the  plates  into  the  angel's  hands.  That  evening,  we  held  a 
meeting,  in  which  all  the  witnesses  bore  testimony  to  the  facts,  as 
stated  above;  and  all  of  our  family,  even  to  Don  Carlos,  who  was 
but  fourteen  years  of  age,  testified  of  the  truth  of  the  Latter-day 
Dispensation — that  it  was  then  ushered  in.  In  a  few  days,  the 
whole  company  from  Waterloo,  went  to  Palmyra  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  getting  the  book  printed;  and  they  succeeded  in  making 
a  contract  with  one  E.  B.  Grandin,  but  did  not  draw  the  writings 
at  that  time.  The  next  day,  the  company  from  Waterloo  returned 
home,  excepting  Joseph,  and  Peter  Whitmer,  Joseph  remaining  to 
draw  writings  in  regard  to  the  printing  of  the  manuscript,  which 
was  to  be  done  on  the  day  following. 

When  Joseph  was  about  starting  for  Palmyra,  where  the  writings 
were  to  be  executed.  Dr.  M'Intyre  came  in  and  informed  us,  that 
forty  men  were  collected  in  the  capacity  of  a  mob,  with  the  view 
of  waylaying  Joseph  on  his  way  thither;  that  they  requested  him 
(Dr.  M'Intyre)  as  they  had  done  once  before,  to  take  command  of  the 
company,  and,  that  upon  his  refusing  to  do  so,  one  Mr.  Huzzy,  a  hatter 
of  Palmyra,  proffered  his  services,  and  was  chosen  as  their  leader. 

On  hearing  this,  I  besought  Joseph  not  to  go;  but  he  smiled  at 
my  fears,  saying,  "Never  mind,  mother,  just  put  your  trust  in  God, 
and  nothing  will  hurt  me  today."  In  a  short  time  he  set  out  for 
Palmyra.  On  his  way  thither,  lay  a  heavy  strip  of  timber,  about 
half  a  mile  in  width,  and,  beyond  it,  on  the  right  side  of  the  road, 
lay  a  field  belonging  to  David  Jacaway.  When  he  came  to  this 
field,  he  found  the  mob  seated  on  the  string  of  fence  running  along 
the  road.  Coming  to  Mr.  Huzzy  first,  he  took  oflf  his  hat,  and 
good-naturedly  saying,  "Good  morning,  Mr.  Huzzy,"  passed   on  to 


490  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

the  next,  whom  he  saluted  in  like  manner,  and  the  next,  and  so  on 
till  he  came  to  the  last. 

This  struck  them  with  confusion,  and  while  they  were  ponder- 
ing in  amazement,  he  passed  on,  leaving  them  perched  upon  the 
fence,  like  so  many  roosting  chickens,  and  arrived  at  Palmyra 
without  being  molested.  Here  he  met  Mr.  Grandin,  and  writings 
were  drawn  up  between  them  to  this  effect:  That  half  of  the  price 
for  printing  was  to  be  paid  by  Martin  Harris,  and  the  residue  by 
my  two  sons,  Joseph  and  Hyrum.  These  writings  were  afterwards 
signed  by  all  the  parties  concerned. 

When  Joseph  returned  from  Palmyra  he  said,  "Well,  mother, 
the  Lord  has  been  on  my  side  today,  the  devil  has  not  overpowered 
me  in  any  of  my  proceedings.  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  I  should  be 
delivered  from  the  hands  of  all  my  enemies!  They  thought  they 
were  going  to  perform  great  feats;  they  have  done  wonders  to 
prevent  me  from  getting  the  book  printed;  they  mustered  them- 
selves together,  and  got  upon  the  fence,  made  me  a  low  bow,  and 
went  home,  and  I'll  warrant  you  they  wish  they  had  stayed  there  in 
the  first  place.     Mother,  there  is  a  God  in  heaven,  and  I  know  it." 

Soon  after  this,  Joseph  secured  the  copyright;  and  before  he 
returned  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  had  left  his  wife,  he  received  a 
commandment,  whith  was  in  substance  as  follows: — 

First,  that  Oliver  Cowdery  should  transcribe  the  whole  manu- 
script. Second,  that  he  should  take  but  one  copy  at  a  time  to  the 
office,  so  that  if  one  copy  should  get  destroyed,  there  would  still 
be  a  copy  remaining.  Third,  that  in  going  to  and  from  the  office, 
he  should  always  have  a  guard  to  attend  him,  for  the  purpose  of 
protecting  the  manuscript.  Fourth,  that  a  guard  should  be  kept 
constantly  on  the  watch,  both  night  and  day,  about  the  house,  to 
protect  the  manuscript  from  malicious  persons,  who  would  infest 
the  house  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  manuscript.  All  these 
things  were  strictly  attended  to,  as  the  Lord  commanded  Joseph. 
After  giving  these  instructions,  Joseph  returned  to  Pennsylvania. 

CHAPTER  XXXn. 

THE  PRINTING  IS  BEGUN — A  MEETING  OF  THE  CITIZENS  HELD  IN  REF- 
FiiRENCE  TO  THE   BOOK. 

Oliver  Cowdery  commenced  the  work  immediately  after  Joseph 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH.  491 

left,  and  the  printing  went  on  very  well  for  a  season,  but  the 
clouds  of  persecution  again  began  to  gather.  The  rabble,  and  a 
party  of  restless  religionists,  began  to  counsel  together,  as  to  the 
most  efficient  means  of  putting  a  stop  to  our  proceedings. 

About  the  first  council  of  this  kind  was  held  in  a  room  ad- 
joining that  in  which  Oliver  and  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Rob- 
inson were  printing.  Mr.  Robinson  being  curious  to  know  what 
they  were  doing  in  the  next  room,  applied  his  ear  to  a  hole  in  the 
partition  wall,  and  by  this  means  overheard  several  persons  ex- 
pressing their  fears  in  reference  to  the  Book  of  Mormon.  One 
said,  "it  was  destined  to  break  down  everything  before  it,  if  not 
put  a  stop  to,"  and,  "that  it  was  likely  to  injure  the  prospects  of 
their  ministers,"  and  then  inquired,  whether  they  should  endure  it. 
"No,  no,"  was  the  unanimous  reply.  It  was  then  asked  "How  shall 
we  prevent  the  printing  of  this  book?"  Upon  which  it  was  re- 
solved by  the  meeting,  that  three  of  their  company  should  be  ap- 
pointed to  go  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Smith,  on  the  following  Tuesday 
or  Wednesday,  while  the  men  were  gone  to  their  work,  and  re- 
quest Mrs.  Smith  to  read  the  manuscript  to  them;  that,  after  she  had 
done  reading  it,  two  of  the  company  should  endeavor  to  divert 
her  attention  from  it  to  some  other  object,  while  the  third,  seiz- 
ing the  opportunity,  should  snatch  it  from  the  drawer,  or  where- 
ever  it  should  be  kept,  and  commit  it  immediately  to  the  flames. 

"Again,"  said  the  speaker,  "suppose  we  fail  in  this,  and  the 
book  be  printed  in  defiance  of  all  that  we  can  do  to  the  contrary, 
what  means  shall  we  then  adopt?  Shall  we  buy  their  books  and 
allow  our  families  to  read  them?"  They  all  responded,  "No." 
They  then  entered  into  a  solemn  covenant,  never  to  purchase  even 
a  single  copy  of  the  work,  or  permit  one  member  of  their  families 
to  buy  or  read  one,  that  they  might  thus  avert  the  awful  calamity 
which  threatened  them, 

Oliver  Cowdery  came  home  that  evening,  and,  after  relating 
the  whole  affair  with  much  solemnity,  he  said,  "Mother,  what 
shall  I  do  with  the  manuscript?  where  shall  I  put  it  to  keep  it. 
away  from  them?" 

"Oliver,"  said  I,  "I  do  not  think  the  matter  so  serious  after 
all,  for  there  is  a  watch  kept  constantly  about  the  house,  and  I 
need  not  take   out  the   manuscript   to   read   it  to   them  unless  I 


492  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

choose,  and  for  its  present  safety  I  can  have  it  deposited  in  a 
chest,  under  the  head  of  my  bed,  in  such  a  way  that  it  never 
will  be  disturbed."  I  then  placed  it  in  a  chest,  which  was  so  high 
that  when  placed  under  the  bed,  the  whole  weight  of  the  bedstead 
rested  upon  the  lid.  Having  made  this  arrangement,  we  felt  quite 
at  rest,  and  that  night,  the  family  retired  to  rest  at  the  usual 
hour,  all  save  Peter  Whitmer,  who  spent  the  night  on  guard.  But 
as  for  myself,  soon  after  I  went  to  bed  I  fell  into  a  train  of  reflec- 
tions which  occupied  my  mind,  and  which  caused  sleep  to  forsake 
my  eyelids  till  the  day  dawned,  for,  when  I  meditated  upon  the 
days  of  toil,  and  nights  of  anxiety,  through  which  we  had  all  passed 
for  years  previous,in  order  to  obtain  the  treasure  that  then  lay  be- 
neath my  head;  when  I  thought  upon  the  hours  of  fearful  appre- 
hensions which  we  had  all  suffered  on  the  same  account,  and  that 
the  object  was  at  last  accomplished,  I  could  truly  say  that  my  soul 
did  magnify  the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  rejoiced  in  God  my  Savior.  I 
felt  that  the  heavens  were  moved  in  our  behalf,  and  that  the 
angels  who  had  power  to  put  down  the  mighty  from  their  seats, 
and  to  exalt  those  who  were  of  low  degree,  were  watching  over 
us;  that  those  would  be  filled  who  hungered  and  thirsted  after 
righteousness,  when  the  rich  would  be  sent  empty  away;  that  God 
had  helped  his  servant  Israel  in  remembrance  of  his  promised  mer- 
cy, and  in  bringing  forth  a  Record,  by  which  is  made  known  the 
seed  of  Abraham,  our  father.  Therefore,  we  could  safely  put  our 
trust  in  him,  as  he  was  able  to  help  in  every  time  of  need. 

On  the  fourth  day  subsequent  to  the  afore-mentioned  council, 
soon  after  my  husband  left  the  house  to  go  to  his  work,  those 
three  delegates  appointed  by  the  council,  came  to  accomplish  the 
work  assigned  to  them.  Soon  after  they  entered,  one  of  them  be- 
gan thus: — 

"Mrs.  Smith,  we  hear  that  you  have  a  gold  bible;  we  have  come 
to  see  if  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  show  it  to  us?" 

"No,  gentlemen,"  said  I,  "we  have  no  gold  bible,  but  we  have 
a  translation  of  some  gold  plates,  which  have  been  brought  forth 
for  the  purpose  of  making  known  to  the  world  the  plainness  of  the 
gospel,  and  also  to  give  a  history  of  the  people  which  formerly  in- 
habited this  continent."  I  then  proceeded  to  relate  the  substance 
of  what  is  contained  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  dwelling  particularly 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH.  493 

upon  the  principles  of  religion  therein  contained.  I  endeavored  to 
show  them  the  similarity  between  these  principles,  and  the  sim- 
plicity of  the  gospel  taught  by  Jesus  Christ  in  the  New  Testament. 
"Notwithstanding  all  this,"  said  1,  "the  different  denominations 
are  very  much  opposed  to  us.  The  Universalists  are  alarmed  lest 
their  religion  should  suffer  loss,  the  Presbyterians  tremble  for 
their  salaries,  the  Methodists  also  come,  and  they  rage,  for  they 
worship  a  God  without  body  or  parts,  and  they  know  that  our 
faith  comes  in  contact  with  this  principle." 

After  hearing  me  through,  the  gentlemen  said,  "Can  we  see 
the  manuscript,  then?" 

"No,  sir,"  replied  I,  "you  cannot  see  it.  I  have  told  you  what 
it  contains,  and  that  must  suffice." 

He  made  no  reply  to  this,  but  said,  "Mrs.  Smith,  you  and  the 
most  of  your  children  have  belonged  to  our  church  for  some  length  of 
time,  and  we  respect  you  very  highly.  You  say  a  good  deal  about  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  which  your  son  has  found,  and  you  believe  much 
of  what  he  tells  you,  yet  we  cannot  bear  the  thoughts  of  losing 
you,  and  they  do  wish — I  wish,  that  if  you  do  believe  those  things, 
you  would  not  say  anything  more  upon  the  subject — I  do  wish  you 
would  not." 

"Deacon  Beckwith,"  said  I,  "if  you  should  stick  my  flesh  full 
of  faggots,  and  even  burn  me  at  the  stake,  I  would  declare,  as 
long  as  God  should  give  me  breath,  that  Joseph  has  got  that  Re- 
cord, and  that  I  know  it  to  be  true." 

At  this,  he  observed  to  his  companions, "You  see  it  is  of  no  use 
to  say  anything  more  to  her,  for  we  cannot  change  her  mind." 
Then,  turning  to  me,  he  said,  "Mrs.  Smith,  I  see  that  it  is  not  pos- 
sible to  persuade  you  out  of  your  belief,  therefore  I  deem  it  un- 
necessary to  say  anything  more  upon  the  subject." 

"No,  sir,"  said  I,  "it  is  not  worth  your  while." 

He  then  bade  me  farewell,  and  went  out  to  see  Hyrum,  when 
the  following  conversation  took  place  between  them: 

Deacon  Beckwith:  "Mr.  Smith,  do  you  not  think  that  you 
may  be  deceived  about  that  Record,  which  your  brother  pretends 
to  have  found?" 

Hyrum:     "No,  sir,  I  do  not." 

Deacon  Beckwith:    "Well,  now,  Mr.  Smith,  if  you  find  that 


494  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

you  are  deceived,  and  that  he  has  not  got  the  Record,  will  you 
confess  the  fact  to  me?" 

Hyrum:  "Will  you.  Deacon  Beckwith,  take  one  of  the  books, 
when  they  are  printed,  and  read  it,  asking  God  to  give  you  an  evi- 
dence that  you  may  know  whether  it  is  true?" 

Deacon  Beckwith:  "I  think  it  beneath  me  to  take  so  much 
trouble,  however,  if  you  will  promise  that  you  will  confess  to  me 
that  Joseph  never  had  the  plates,  I  will  ask  for  a  witness  whether 
the  book  is  true." 

Hyrum:  "I  will  tell  you  what  I  will  do,  Mr.  Beckwith,  if  you 
do  get  a  testimony  from  God,  that  the  book  is  not  true,  I  will 
confess  to  you  that  it  is  not  true." 

Upon  this  they  parted,  and  the  Deacon  next  went  to  Samuel, 
who  quoted  to  him,  Isaiah,  Ivi:  9-11: 

All  ye  beasts  of  the  field,  come  to  devour;  yea,  all  ye  beasts  in  the 
forest.  His  watchmen  are  blind:  they  are  all  ignorant,  they  are  all  dumb 
dogs,  they  cannot  bark;  sleeping,  lying  down,  loving  to  slumber;  yea, 
they  are  greedy  dogs,  which  can  never  have  enough,  and  they  are  shep- 
herds that  cannot  understand:  they  all  look  to  their  own  way,  every  one 
for  his  gain,  from  his  quarter. 

Here  Samuel  ended  the  quotation,  and  the  three  gentlemen 
left  without  ceremony. 

CHAPTER  XXXHI. 

ESQUIRE     cole's     DOGBERRY     PAPER— SECOND     MEETING     OF    THE 

CITIZENS. 

The  work  of  printing  still  continued  with  little  or  no  interrup- 
tion, until  one  Sunday  afternoon,  when  Hyrum  became  very  uneasy 
as  to  the  security  of  the  work  left  at  the  printing  office,  and  re- 
quested Oliver  to  accompany  him  thither,  to  see  if  all  was  right. 
Oliver  hesitated  for  a  moment,  as  to  the  propriety  of  going  on 
Sunday,  but  finally  consented,  and  they  set  off  together. 

On  arriving  at  the  prmting  establishment,  they  found  it  occu- 
pied by  an  individual  by  the  name  of  Cole,  an  ex-justice  of  the 
peace,  who  was  busily  employed  in  printing  a  newspaper.  Hyrum 
was  much  surprised  at  finding  him  there,  and  remarked,  "How  is  it, 
Mr.  Cole,  that  you  are  so  hard  at  work  on  Sunday?" 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH.  49 

Mr  Cole  replied,  that  he  could  not  have  the  press,  in  the  day 
time  during  the  week,  and  was  obliged  to  do  his  printing  at  night, 
and  on  Sundays. 

Upon  reading  the  prospectus  of  his  paper,  they  found  that 
he  had  agreed  with  his  subscribers  to  publish  one  form  of  "Joe 
Smith's  Gold  Bible"  each  week,  and  thereby  furnish  them  with  the 
principle  portion  of  the  book  in  such  a  way  that  they  would  not  be 
obliged  to  pay  the  Smiths  for  it.  His  paper  was  entitled,  Dog- 
berry Paper  on  Winter  Hill.  In  this,  he  had  thrown  together  a 
parcel  of  the  most  vulgar,disgusting  prose,  and  the  meanest,  and 
most  low-lived  doggerel,  in  juxtaposition  with  a  portion  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  which  he  had  pilfered.  At  this  perversion  of 
common  sense  and  moral  feeling,  Hyrum  was  shocked,  as  well  as 
indignant  at  the  dishonest  course  which  Mr.  Cole  had  taken,  in  order 
to  possess  himself  of  the  work. 

"Mr.  Cole,"  said  he,  "what  right  have  you  to  print  the  Book 
of  Mormon  in  this  manner?  Do  you  not  know  that  we  have  se- 
cured the  copyright?" 

"It  is  none  of  your  business,"  answered  Cole,  "I  have  hired 
the  press,  and  will  print  what  I  please,  so  help  yourself." 

"Mr.  Cole,"  rejoined  Hyrum,  "that  manuscript  is  sacred,  and 
I  forbid  your  printing  any  more  of  it." 

"Smith,"  exclaimed  Cole,  in  a  tone  of  anger,  "I  don't  care  a 
d — n  for  you:  that  d — d  gold  bible  is  going  into  my  paper,  in  spite 
of  all  you  can  do." 

Hyrum  endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  his  purpose,  but  find- 
ing him  inexorable,  left  him  to  issue  his  paper,  as  he  had  hitherto 
done;  for  when  they  found  him  at  work,  he  had  already  issued  six 
or  eight  numbers,  and  had  managed  to  keep  them  out  of  our  sight. 

On  returning  from  the  office,  they  asked  my  husband  what 
course  was  best  for  them  to  pursue,  relative  to  Mr.  Cole.  He  told 
them  that  he  considered  it  a  matter  with  which  Joseph  ought  to 
be  made  acquainted.  Accordingly,  he  set  out  himself  for  Penn- 
sylvania, and  returned  with  Joseph  the  ensuing  Sunday.  The 
weather  was  so  extremely  cold,  that  they  came  near  perishing  be- 
fore they  arrived  at  home,  nevertheless,  as  soon  as  Joseph  made 
himself  partially  comfortable,  he  went  to  the  printing  office,  where 


496  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

he  found  Cole  employed,  as  on  the  Sunday  previous.     "How  do 
you  do,  Mr.  Cole,"  said  Joseph,  "you  seem  hard  at  work." 

"How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Smith,"  answered  Cole,  dryly. 

Joseph  examined  his  Dogberry  Paper,  and  then  said  firmly, 
"Mr.  Cole,  that  book,  [the  Book  of  Mormon]  and  the  right  of  publish- 
ing it,  belongs  to  me,  and  I  forbid  you  meddling  with  it  any  further.'' 

At  this  Mr.  Cole  threw  off  his  coat,  rolled  up  his  sleeves,  and 
came  towards  Joseph,  smacking  his  fists  together  with  vengeance, 
and  roaring  out,  "Do  you  want  to  fight,  sir?  do  you  want  to  fight  ?  I 
will  publish  just  what  I  please.  Now,if  you  want  to  fight,  just  come  on." 

Joseph  could  not  help  smiling  at  his  grotesque  appearance, 
for  his  behavior  was  too  ridiculous  to  excite  indignation.  "Now^ 
Mr.  Cole,"  said  he,  "you  had  better  keep  your  coat  on — it  is  cold, 
and  I  am  not  going  to  fight  you,  nevertheless,  I  assure  you,  sir, 
that  you  have  got  to  stop  printing  my  book,  for  I  know  my  rights, 
and  shall  maintain  them." 

"Sir,"  bawled  out  the  wrathy  gentleman,  "if  you  think  you  are 
the  best  man,  just  pull  off  your  coat  and  try  it." 

"Mr.  Cole,"  said  Joseph,  in  a  low,  significant  tone,  "there  is 
law,  and  you  will  find  that  out,  if  you  do  not  understand  it,  but  I 
shall  not  fight  you,  sir." 

At  this,  the  ex-justice  began  to  cool  off  a  little,  and  finally 
concluded  to  submit  to  an  arbitration,  which  decided  that  he  should 
stop  his  proceedings  forthwith,  so  that  he  made  us  no  further  trouble. 

Joseph,  after  disposing  of  this  affair,  returned  to  Pennsylvania, 
but  not  long  to  remain  there,  for  when  the  inhabitants  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  perceived  that  the  work  still  progressed,  they 
became  uneasy,  and  again  called  a  large  meeting.  At  this  time, 
they  gathered  their  forces  together,  far  and  near,  and  organizing 
themselves  into  a  committee  of  the  whole,  they  resolved,  as  before, 
never  to  purchase  one  of  our  books,  when  they  should  be  printed. 
They  then  appointed  a  committee  to  wait  upon  E.  B.  Grandin,  and 
inform  him  of  the  resolutions  which  they  had  passed,  and  also  to 
explain  to  him  the  evil  consequences  which  would  result  to  him 
therefrom.  The  men  who  were  appointed  to  do  this  errand,  ful- 
filled their  mission  to  the  letter,  and  urged  upon  Mr.  Grandin  the 
necessity  of  his  putting  a  stop  to  the  printing,  as  the  Smiths  had 
lost  all  their  property,  and  consequently  would  be  unable  to  pay 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH.  497 

Wm  for  his  work,  except  by  the  sale  of  the  books.  And  this  they 
would  never  be  able  to  do,  for  the  people  would  not  purchase  them. 
This  information  caused  Mr.  Grandin  to  stop  printing,  and  we  were 
again  compelled  to  send  for  Joseph.  These  trips,  back  and  forth, 
exhausted  nearly  all  our  means,  yet  they  seemed  unavoidable. 

When  Joseph  came,  he  went  immediately  with  Martin  Harris 
to  Grandin,  and  succeeded  in  removing  his  fears,  so  that  he  went 
on  with  the  work,  until  the  books  were  printed,  which  was  in  the 
spring  of  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  CHURCH   ORGANIZED. 

About  the  first  of  April  of  the  same  year  in  which  the  Book 
of  Mormon  was  published,  Joseph  came  again  from  Pennsylvania, 
preached  to  us  several  times.  My  husband  and  Martin  Harris 
were  baptized.  When  Mr.  Smith  came  out  of  the  water,  Joseph 
stood  upon  the  shore,  and  taking  his  father  by  the  hand,  he  ex- 
claimed, with  tears  of  joy,  "Praise  to  my  God!  that  I  have  lived  to  see 
my  own  father  baptized  into  the  true  Church  of  Jesus  Christ!"  On 
April  6,  1830,  the  Church  was  organized. 

Shortly  after  this,  my  sons  were  all  ordained  to  the  ministry, 
even  Don  Carlos,  who  was  but  fourteen  years  of  age.  Samuel 
was  directed  to  take  a  number  of  the  Books  of  Mormon,  and  go  on 
a  mission  to  Livonia,  to  preach,  and  make  sale  of  the  books,  if 
possible.  Whilst  he  was  making  preparations  to  go  on  this  mis- 
sion, Miss  Almira  Mack  arrived  in  Manchester  from  Pontiac.  This 
young  woman  was  a  daughter  of  my  brother,  Stephen  Mack,  whose 
history  I  have  already  given.  She  received  the  Gospel  as  soon  as 
she  heard  it,  and  was  baptized  immediately,  and  has  ever  since  re- 
mained a  faithful  member  of  the  Church. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  June,  Samuel  started  on  the  mission  to 
which  he  had  been  set  apart  by  Joseph,  and  in  traveling  twenty- 
five  miles,  which  was  his  first  day's  journey,  he  stopped  at  a  num- 
ber of  places  in  order  to  sell  his  books,  but  was  turned  out  of 
doors  as  soon  as  he  declared  his  principles.  When  evening  came 
on,  he  was  faint  and  almost  discouraged,  but  coming  to  an  inn, 


498  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

which  was  surrounded  with  every  appearance  of  plenty,  he  called 
to  see  if  the  landlord  would  buy  one  of  his  books.  On  going  in, 
Samuel  enquired  of  him,  if  he  did  not  wish  to  purchase  a  history  of 
the  origin  of  the  Indians. 

"I  do  not  know,"  replied  the  host;  ''how  did  you  get  hold  of 
it?" 

"It  was  translated,"  rejoined  Samuel,  "by  my  brother,  from 
some  gold  plates  that  he  found  buried  in  the  earth." 

"You  d — dliar!"  cried  the  landlord,  "get  out  of  my  house — 
you  sha'n't  stay  one  minute  with  your  books." 

Samuel  was  sick  at  heart,  for  this  was  the  fifth  time  he  had 
been  turned  out  of  doors  that  day.  He  left  the  house,  and  traveled 
a  short  distance,  and  washed  his  feet  in  a  small  brook,  as  a  testi- 
mony against  the  man.  He  then  proceeded  five  miles  further  on 
his  journey,  and  seeing  an  apple  tree  a  short  distance  from  the 
road,  he  concluded  to  pass  the  night  under  it;  and  here  he  lay  all 
night  upon  the  cold,  damp  ground.  In  the  morning,  he  arose  from 
his  comfortless  bed,  and  observing  a  small  cottage  at  no  great  dis- 
tance, he  drew  near,  hoping  to  get  a  little  refreshment.  The  only 
inmate  was  a  widow,  who  seemed  very  poor.  He  asked  her  for 
food,  relating  the  story  of  his  former  treatment.  She  prepared 
him  some  victuals,  and,  after  eating,  he  explained  to  her  the  his- 
tory of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  She  listened  attentively,  and  believed 
all  that  he  told  her,  but,  in  consequence  of  her  poverty,  she  was 
unable  to  purchase  one  of  the  books.  He  presented  her  with  one, 
and  proceeded  to  Bloomington,  which  was  eight  miles  further.  Here 
he  stopped  at  the  house  of  John  P.  Greene,  who  was  a  Methodist 
preacher,  and  was  at  that  time  about  starting  on  a  preaching  mis- 
sion. He,  like  the  others,  did  not  wish  to  make  a  purchase  of 
what  he  considered  at  that  time  to  be  a  nonsensical  fable,  however, 
he  said  that  he  would  take  a  subscription  paper,  and,  if  he  found 
anyone  on  his  route  who  was  disposed  to  purchase,  he  would  take 
his  name,  and  in  two  weeks,  Samuel  might  call  again,  and  he  would 
let  him  know  what  the  prospect  was  of  selling.  After  making 
this  arrangement,  Samuel  left  one  of  his  books  with  him,  and  re- 
turned home.  At  the  time  appointed,  Samuel  started  again  for 
the  Rev.  John  P.  Greene's,  in  order  to  learn  the  success  which  this 
gentleman  had  met  with  in  finding  sale  for  the  Book  of  Mormon. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH.  499 

This  time,  Mr.  Smith,  and  myself  accompanied  him,  and  it  was  our 
intention  to  have  passed  near  the  tavern,  where  Samuel  was  so 
abusively  treated  a  fortnight  previous,  but  just  before  we  came  to 
the  house,  a  sign  of  small-pox  intercepted  us.  We  turned  aside, 
and  meeting  a  citizen  of  the  place,  we  enquired  of  him,  to  what 
extent  this  disease  prevailed.  He  answered,  that  the  tavern  keep- 
er and  two  of  his  family  had  died  with  it  not  long  since,  but  he 
did  not  know  that  any  one  else  had  caught  the  disease,  and  that 
it  was  brought  into  the  neighborhood  by  a  traveler,  who  stopped 
at  the  tavern  over  night. 

This  is  a  specimen  of  the  peculiar  disposition  of  some  individ- 
uals, who  would  sacrifice  their  soul's  salvation  rather  than  give  a 
Saint  of  God  a  meal  of  victuals.  According  to  the  word  of  God, 
it  will  be  more  tolerable  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  in  the  day  of 
judgment,  than  for  such  persons. 

We  arrived  at  Esquire  Beaman's,  in  Livonia,  that  night.  The 
next  morning  Samuel  took  the  road  to  Mr.  Greene's,  and,  finding 
that  he  had  made  no  sale  of  the  books,  we  returned  home  the  f  ol- 
ing  day. 


THE  CORNERSTONE  OF  CHARACTER. 


The  corner  stone  of  character,  that  on  which  the  whole  edi- 
fice is  to  rest,  must  be  truth.  Be  truthful  in  word  and  deed  and 
act,  faithful  to  your  conception  of  right,  and  you  can  no  more 
help  building  a  noble  character  than  the  earth  can  help  moving  in 
its  orbit.  A  boy  who  has  the  courage  to  tell  the  truth  under  all 
circumstances,  even  when  it  may  appear  to  be  to  his  own  disad- 
vantage, will  never  do  a  mean,  unmanly,  or  dishonest  thing.  He 
will  not  stoop  to  do  anything  questionable,  no  matter  what 
material  gain  it  may  promise. 

— Selected. 


HOW  SHALL  WE  FIND  THE  SABBATH  OF 

PROFIT? 


BY   COL.   R.   M.   BRYCE   THOMAS. 


[The  author  is  a  gentleman  of  education  and  great  experience,  a  re- 
tired officer  of  the  British  army,  whose  present  residence  is  London. 
He  spent  the  summer  of  1901  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  In  view  of  the 
approaching  summer  season  when  outdoor  recreation,  excursions,  and 
pleasure-seeking  in  general,  are  largely  indulged  in,  and  that,  we  are 
sorry  to  say,  by  many  upon  the  Sabbath  day,  the  article  is  specially 
timely  as  a  warning  to  the  young  people  to  avoid  Sabbath  desecration, 
and  also  as  serving  to  teach  them  the  necessity  of  observing  the  day 
acceptably  to  God  and  advantageously  to  themselves. — Editors.] 


We  live  for  money  by  day  and  pleasure  by  night.  I  have  no  fear 
in  saying  that,  at  the  present  rate  at  which  we  are  living,  in  fifty  years 
we  will  have  no  Sabbath." — Rev.  Lorrimer,  New  York. 

At  a  Church  conference  at  Runcorn,  Cheshire,  yesterday,  the  Rev. 
H.  B.  Blogg,  Vicar  of  Frodsham,  created  a  sensation  by  advocating 
football  and  cricket  for  young  people  on  Sunday  afternoons.  He  main- 
tained that  it  was  better  they  should  be  playing  healthy,  manly  games 
than  loafing  about  smoking  pernicious  cigarettes.  For  men,  he  would 
encourage  golf,  without  boy  caddies,  on  the  understanding  that  they 
attended  morning  service.  He  preferred  the  Continental  Sunday  to  our 
own,  and  urged  his  fellow-clergy  not  to  be  afraid  of  introducing  it. — 
Daily  Telegraph,  Feb.  26,  1902. 

And  he  said  unto  them,  The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not 
man  for  the  Sabbath; 

Therefore  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the  Sabbath. — (Mark  2: 
27,  28.) 

The  manner  in  which  so  many  people,  professedly  belonging  to 
one  or  other  of  the  various  denominations  of  worshipers  in  Chris- 
tendom, appear  to  make  use  of  the  Sabbath  day  for  almost  any 
purpose  other  than  that  of  the  public  worship  of  Jehovah,  is  a  very 


HOW  SHALL  WE  FIND  THE  SABBATH  OF  PROFIT?    501 

noticeable  feature  of  modern  times;  and  one  is  naturally  led  to 
question  whether  this  fact  is  due  to  ignorance  on  their  part  of  the 
important  and  merciful  design  of  that  day  of  rest,  or  to  some 
other  cause.  Is  it  possible  that  they  suppose  that,  when  God 
commanded  one  day  in  seven  to  be  exempted  from  the  usual 
labors  of  life,  he  intended  it  to  be  kept  merely  as  a  day  of  recrea- 
tion and  merriment  for  his  children  upon  the  earth?  Do  they  not 
know,  or  have  they  forgotten  that,  when  he  appointed  one  day  in 
seven  fo,r  a  day  of  rest,  he  hallowed  it,  thus  setting  it  apart  for 
sacred  purposes? 

The  Sabbath  is  a  very  old  institution,  for  we  find  in  the 
inspired  records  that,  even  from  the  earliest  periods,  the  Patri- 
archs and  other  men  of  God  both  taught  and  practiced  a  respect 
for  that  day,  as  well  as  a  strict  observance  of  it.  As  far  back  in 
the  past  as  the  time  referred  to  in  Exodus  16,  we  find  how  this 
day  was  commanded  to  be  kept.  In  the  26th  verse  of  that  chap- 
ter we  read,  "Six  days  ye  shall  gather  it  (manna);  but  on  the 
seventh  day,  which  is  the  Sabbath,  there  shall  be  none."  And 
again  in  Deut.  5 :  12,  et  seq:  "Keep  the  Sabbath  day  to  sanctify 
it,  as  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  commanded  thee:  six  days  thou  shalt 
labor,  and  do  all  thy  work:  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of 
the  Lord  thy  God:  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor  thy 
son,  nor  thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant, 
nor  thine  ox,  nor  thine  ass,  nor  any  of  thy  cattle,  nor  the  stranger 
that  is  within  thy  gates;  that  thy  man-servant  and  thy  maid-servant 
may  rest  as  well  as  thou." 

In  these  days  there  is  a  tendency  to  infer  that  our  present 
conditions,  and  the  surroundings  of  our  lives,  have  become  so  altered 
since  the  time  when  God  ordered  the  Sabbath  to  be  kept  holy,  that 
the  obligations  of  that  day  are  no  longer  binding  upon  us  in  the 
same  way,  and  to  the  same  extent  as  formerly;  and  it  is  not  un- 
frequently  urged  that,  in  as  much  as  people  are  compelled  to  work 
hard  throughout  the  week,  they  naturally  require  recreation  and 
enjoyments  on  the  only  day  on  which  they  are  not  constrained 
to  labor.  Such  an  argument  may  at  first  sight  appear  reasonable 
enough,  but  it  will  scarcely,  I  think,  bear  close  investigation, 
because,  while  it  is  admittedly  the  case  that  many  of  the  circum- 
stances by  which  people  are  surrounded  differ  from  those  of  an- 


502  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

cient  times,  the  fact  of  men  having  to  work  hard  during  six  days 
out  of  seven  is  nothing  new  at  all.  From  the  time  when  the  law 
of  the  Sabbath  was  first  given,  and  all  along  the  line  of  history 
since  then,  men  have  always  had  to  work  hard  for  six  days,  and 
yet  the  Lord  has  never  ceased  to  demand  from  them  a  strict 
observance  of  the  Sabbath  day.  No  people  in  modern  times  are 
obliged,  I  believe,  to  work  harder  than  had  the  Israelites  to  do 
while  in  Egyptian  bondage,  when  their  cruel  taskmasters,  with 
whip  in  hand,  compelled  them  to  make  brick  without  supplying 
them  with  straw;  and  yet  these  children  of  Israel  were  never  per- 
mitted by  God  to  consider  that  the  obligations  of  the  Sabbath 
were  either  annulled,  or  in  any  degree  relaxed. 

Had,  however,  any  such  changes  taken  place  in  men's  circum.- 
stances,  as  would  have  warranted  a  relaxation  of  the  strict  observ- 
ance of  the  Sabbath  day,  is  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  our 
Father,  who  is  just,  intelligent,  and  omniscient-,  would  have  per- 
mitted his  previous  instructions  to  keep  that  day  holy,  to  remain 
an  absolute  law  unto  men  upon  the  earth?  We  find  from  a  study  of 
God's  dealings  with  his  people  that,  whenever  changed  circum- 
stances called  for  any  alterations  in  his  demands  upon  them,  he 
invariably  revealed  the  same,  and  gave  to  them  fresh  laws  more 
suited  and  adapted  to  their  new  conditions.  We  know  of  no  such 
revelation,  and  those  who  advocate  a  relaxation  in  the  observance 
of  the  day  of  rest,  are  unable  to  point  to  any  new  instructions  on 
the  subject.  Surely,  if  the  wise  and  merciful  Father  has  not  seen 
the  necessity  of  modifying  his  requirements  in  this  respect,  man 
can  have  no  right  whatever,  either  to  make  such  modifications  him- 
self, or  to  justify  any  annulling,  or  partial  annulling,  of  the  stand- 
ing law  of  his  God  on  the  part  of  others. 

It  would  seem  as  if  either  the  real  object  and  purpose  of  the 
institution  of  the  day  of  rest  can  never  have  been  properly  under- 
stood by  those  who  utilize  the  Sabbath  for  the  purposes  of  their 
own  self-gratification  and  pleasure,  or  else,  if  understood,  such 
object  and  purpose  have  been  altogether  disregarded.  Our  Lord 
informed  us  that  it  was  not  man  who  was  made  for  the  Sabbath, 
but  the  Sabbath  for  man;  consequently  that  day  must  have  been 
instituted  for  his  special  advantage:  and  it  naturally  follows  that, 
if  our  advantage  is  of  any  interest  to  ourselves,  (and  to  whom  is  it 


HOW  SHALL  WE  FIND  THE  SABBATH  OF  PROFIT?    503 

not?)  we  ought  to  be  glad  to  learn  something,  both  of  the  pur- 
pose for  which  the  Sabbath  was  ordained,  and  also  of  the  manner 
in  which  we  can  observe  it  with  the  greatest  profit  to  ourselves. 
In  our  examination  into  this  subject,  however,  let  us  keep  before 
our  minds  the  fact  that  he,  who  gave  man  the  Sabbath  for  his 
good,  is  the  "Eternal  God,"  and  that  he  has  always  "eternal 
ends"  in  view,  in  his  dealings  with  his  children  upon  the  earth, 
consequently,  it  would  be  both  unavailing  and  improper  on  our  part 
to  enter  upon  a  consideration  of  such  deahngs,  without  reference 
to  those  same  "eternal  ends." 

In  order  that  we  may  find  our  earthly  Sabbaths  of  profit  to  us, 
we  must  ascertain  (1)  the  signification  of  the  word  "Sabbath;"  (2) 
the  purpose  for  which  that  day  was  instituted;  and  (3)  the  way  in 
which  we  may  keep  it  acceptably  to  God,  and  advantageously  to 
ourselves. 

The  word  is  a  Hebrew  one  denoting  "cessation"  or  "rest," 
and  the  Sabbath  was  primarily  instituted  to  commemorate  God's 
rest  from  his  creative  labors.  In  Exodus  20:  8-11,  we  read  that 
God,  having  completed  his  work  of  creation  in  six  days,  rested  on 
the  seventh  day  and  hallowed  it,  (probably  in  order  to  preserve 
the  memory  of  his  creation)  and  he  therefore  commanded  that, 
after  six  days  of  work,  his  children  on  earth  should  also  cease 
from  all  labor  on  the  seventh  day,  and  remember  to  keep  that  day 
holy  by  setting  it  apart  to  his  worship.  There  are  some  who 
would  seem  to  think  that  this  command  was  given  by  God  to  his 
peculiar  people  the  Jews  only,  and  that  it  did  not  apply  to  the 
surrounding  nations;  but  it  is  evident  that  such  could  not  have 
been  the  case,  because,  through  his  inspired  prophet  Isaiah,  he 
offers  a  blessing  on  the  man,  and  the  son  of  man,  who  keep  the 
Sabbath  from  polluting  it;  and  this  blessing  is  to  apply  not  only  to 
the  Israelite,  but  also  to  the  sons  of  the  stranger  who  join  them- 
selves to  the  Lord  to  serve  him,  and  to  love  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
(Isaiah  56:  1-8). 

By  a  reference  to  Exodus  16:  29,  and  to  Ezekiel  20:  12,  we 
learn  something  of  the  purpose  of  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath; 
namely,  that  it  was  a  gift  made  by  God  to  man;  and  Ezekiel  tells 
us  that  it  was  to  be  a  sign  between  God  and  his  people,  that  they 
might  know  that  he  was  the  Lord  that  sanctified  them.     From 


504  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

these  and  other  texts  of  Scripture,  it  is  evident  that  the  Sabbath 
was  appointed  for  man's  rest  from  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  life, 
in  order  to  give  him  opportunities  of  serving  his  Maker,  becoming 
acquainted  with  his  character  and  attributes,  applying  himself  to 
prayer  and  meditation,  and  seeking  the  consolations  of  religion  by 
a  study  of  the  precious  truths  of  God's  holy  word. 

Had  not  God  commanded  his  children  to  cease  from  labor  by 
resting  therefrom  on  the  Sabbath  day,  the  opportunities  now  en- 
joyed of  searching  into,  and  obtaining  a  knowledge  of,  things  per- 
taining to  his  eternal  happiness,  would  have  been  lost  to  man;  for 
if  even  now,  with  the  advantage  of  a  day  of  rest  from  worldly 
cares  once  each  week,  the  things  pertaining  to  his  future  salvation 
are  so  frequently  disregarded,  what  would  have  been  his  condition 
had  no  Sabbaths  existed  for  his  benefit,  and  what  sort  of  a  prepa- 
ration would  this  world  have  been  for  that  which  is  to  come? 

The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the  Sabbath; 
because  man  was  created  first,  and  the  Sabbath  was  given  to  him 
afterwards  for  his  good;  and,  if  properly  observed,  will  tend  greatly 
to  his  welfare  both  here  and  hereafter;  while,  if  neglected  or 
profaned,  it  cannot  but  operate  in  the  direction  of  his  condemna- 
tion; because  the  opportunities  which  these  Sabbaths  afford  him 
for  improvement  are  very  great,  when  we  consider  that,  in  the 
course  of  one  year,  man  has  given  to  him  a  clear  fifty-two  days  for 
his  spiritual  upbuilding  and  advancement;  or,  in  other  words,  he 
has  a  full  year  every  seven  years,  and  seven  complete  years  in  a 
lifetime  of  just  upon  fifty  years;  and  thus  he  has  very  frequent 
opportunities  indeed  of  utilizing  all  these  many  means  of  grace, 
which  God  has  placed  within  his  reach,  to  enable  him  to  secure  for 
himself  the  beatitudes  of  the  Heavenly  Kingdom.  Who  then  can 
ever  be  in  a  position  hereafter  to  offer  excuses,  by  pleading  want 
of  time  or  opportunities,  however  busy  and  full  of  labors  one's 
life  may  have  been  upon  the  earth?  There  is  a  marked  analogy 
existing  in  several  respects  between  the  spirit  and  the  body,  and  the 
former  demands  just  as  much  care  and  sustenance  to  maintain  it  in 
a  condition  of  health  and  strength,  as  the  latter;  and  thus  arises 
the  necessity  of  our  having  one  day  in  every  seven  allowed  to  us 
for  the  upbuilding  of  our  spiritual  lives,  free  from  the  toils  and 
anxieties  and  labor  which  accompany  and  surround  us  during  the 


HOW  SHALL  WE  FIND  THE  SABBATH  OF  PROFIT?    505 

-other  six.  The  Sabbath,  therefore,  is  a  loving  provision  made  by 
God  for  his  children  upon  the  earth;  and,  inasmuch  as  we  are  in 
possession  of  intelligence,  and  have  been  blessed  with  a  perfect 
freedom  of  choice  and  action,  we  shall  assuredly  have  to  render  to 
God  an  account,  both  of  our  observance  and  of  our  disregard,  of 
this  holy  day  of  rest. 

It  remains  for  us  now  to  consider  how  we  may  best  observe 
these  Sabbaths,  which,  if  profitably  utilized  and  enjoyed  here,  will 
fit  us  for  the  more  perfect  and  exalted  Sabbath  of  rest  that 
remains  for  the  people  of  God.  Let  us  remember  that  he  who 
claimed  to  be  "The  Lord  of  the  Sabbath,"  had  a  perfect  right  to 
direct  how  the  day  should  be  observed,  and  it  therefore  becomes 
necessary  for  us  to  turn  to  his  teachings  for  our  instructions  on 
this  point.  From  a  study  of  the  Scriptures,  we  learn  that  the 
Jews,  at  the  time  when  our  Savior  was  upon  the  earth,  were  very 
rigid  observers  of  the  strict  letter  of  the  law  which  had  been  given 
to  them  by  Moses  (a  law  that  commanded  them  to  abstain  from  all 
kinds  of  work  on  the  Sabbath  day — (Exodus  20:  10;  35:  2-3; 
Numbers  15:  32-36);  while  at  the  same  time  the  true  spirit  of 
that  law  they  quite  overlooked,  rendering  their  religion  thereby  a 
mere  form  of  outward  observances,  for  which  our  Lord  condemned 
them  on  more  than  one  occasion.  For  instance,  we  read  in  Luke 
13:  11-17,  that  a  ruler  of  one  of  the  Jewish  synagogues  found 
fault  with  Christ's  supposed  breach  of  the  Sabbath,  because  on  that 
day  he  performed  a  miracle  of  healing  upon  a  woman  who  had 
been  bowed  down  for  eighteen  years  with  a  spirit  of  infirmity. 
Our  Lord's  answer  to  him  was,  "Thou  hypocrite,  doth  not  each  one 
of  you  on  the  Sabbath  loose  his  ox  or  his  ass  from  the  stall,  and 
lead  him  away  to  watering?  and  ought  not  this  woman,  being  a 
daughter  of  Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath  bound,  lo,  these  eighteen 
years,  be  loosed  from  this  bond  on  the  Sabbath  day?"  On  another 
occasion,  the  Pharisees  accused  our  Lord's  disciples  of  profaning 
the  Sabbath,  because,  when  hungry,  they  plucked  the  ears  of  corn 
as  they  walked  through  the  cornfield  on  that  day;  saying,  "Behold, 
thy  disciples  do  that  which  is  not  lawful  to  do  upon  the  Sabbath 
day."  In  reply,  our  Lord  pointed  out  that  there  were  occasions  in 
which  man's  needs  might  justify  a  breach  of  the  strict  letter  of 
the  law;  and  he  illustrated  this  truth  by  a  reference  to  the  case  of 


506  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

David,  who,  when  fleeing  with  his  companions  from  the  wrath  of 
Saul,  came  weary  and  hungry  to  the  house  of  God  at  Nob,  and 
obtained  from  Ahimelech  the  high  priest  the  shewbread  to  eat, 
which  it  was  not  lawful  for  any  but  the  priests  to  partake  of  (see 
I  Samuel  21:  1-6).  He  also  called  to  their  remembrance  the  fact 
that  on  the  Sabbath  day  the  priests  in  the  temple  broke  the  strict 
letter  of  the  law,  and  yet  were  held  blameless,  doing  work  which 
it  would  have  been  unlawful  for  any  others  to  do,  namely  killing, 
preparing,  and  burning  the  beasts,  which  were  offered  up  in  sacri- 
fice upon  the  altars  of  God's  holy  house.  It  is,  therefore,  evident 
that,  in  certain  cases  of  necessity,  ceremonial  observances  may 
be  set  aside  without  guilt,  and  further  that,  for  good  and  reasonable 
convenience,  the  strict  letter  of  the  law  need  not  necessarily  bind 
men  (a  principle  that  all  laws  properly  admit  of) ;  and  it  was  on 
such  grounds  that  our  Savior  held  his  disciples  blameless  for 
plucking  the  ears  of  corn  on  the  Sabbath  day.  It  was  also  on  the 
Sabbath  day  that  our  Lord  healed  a  man  with  a  withered  hand- 
St.  Matthew  tells  us  that  the  Jews  put  to  him  the  question,  whether 
it  was  lawful  to  perform  this  work  of  healing  on  that  day,  to 
which  he  replied  by  pointing  out  that  there  was  not  one  among 
his  questioners  who  would  not  lay  hold  of  a  sheep  which  had 
fallen  into  a  pit  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  lift  it  out;  and  he  added 
these  words,  "How  much  then  is  a  man  better  than  a  sheep? 
wherefore  it  is  lawful  to  do  well  on  the  Sabbath  days."  (Matthew 
12:  9-11). 

These  instances  fully  exemplify  the  spiritual  truth,  that  the 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the  Sabbath,  by  ex- 
hibiting to  us  that,  inasmuch  as  our  Heavenly  Father  desires  our 
welfare  in  all  things,  and  has  framed  his  laws  for  our  good,  every- 
thing that  pertains  to  our  true  well-being  must  be  as  lawful  on  the 
Sabbath  day  as  on  any  other;  but  with  all  this,  we  should  ever  keep 
in  mind  the  main  purpose  of  the  Sabbath,  and  avoid  devoting  it  to 
our  self-interests  and  our  pleasures,  and  even  to  the  otherwise 
necessary  labors  of  life.  All  works  of  sympathy,  usefulness,  and 
love,  become  lawful,  notwithstanding  that  they  may  partly  interfere 
with  the  appointed  rest  of  the  Sabbath;  such  for  instance  as  teach- 
ing in  Sunday  schools,  instructing  children  and  those  who  are 
ignorant,  visiting  and  assisting   the  widow,  the  fatherless,  the 


HOW  SHALL  WE  FIND  THE  SABBATH  OF  PROFIT?    507 

afflicted,  the  poor,  and  the  needy.  Such  as  these  are  acts  of  true 
mercy  and  righteousness,  which  are  far  more  acceptable  to  our 
Father,  than  all  the  merely  external  compliances  with  the  duties  of 
religion:  and  we  are  taught  in  such  passages  of  Scripture  as  the 
following,  that  God  delights  more  in  the  inward  spirit  of  benevo- 
lence and  charity,  than  in  the  bare  outward  observances  of  the  law: 
"To  do  justice  and  judgment  is  more  acceptable  to  the  Lord  than 
sacrifice."  (Proverbs  21 :  3).  "For  I  desired  mercy  and  not  sacrifice; 
and  the  knowledge  of  God  more  than  burnt  offerings."  (HoseaG:  6). 
"Hath  the  Lord  as  great  delight  in  burnt  offerings  and  sacrifices, 
as  in  obeying  the  voice  of  the  Lord?  Behold  to  obey  is  better  than 
sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams."  (I  Samuel  15:  22). 
These  texts  seem  to  indicate  clearly,  that  all  our  sacrifices  and 
religious  duties  without  love  and  obedience  are  powerless,  if  not 
hypocritical. 

It  would,  of  course,  be  impossible  for  any  one  to  lay  down 
explicit  rules  as  to  what  one  may  or  may  not  do  lawfully  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  but  if  it  is  our  real  and  earnest  desire  to  observe  that 
day  in  a  manner  pleasing  to  our  Father,  it  ought  not  to  be  difficult 
to  bring  ourselves  into  harmony  with  his  mind  and  will  on  the  sub- 
ject; always  remembering  to  ask  him  for  that  wisdom,  which  St. 
James  informed  us  he  would  invariably  give  liberally,  and  without 
upbraiding,  provided  we  asked  for  it  in  faith,  nothing  wavering. 
All  acts  of  benevolence,  love,  goodness,  and  usefulness  are  lawful 
upon  the  Sabbath  day,  even  should  they  take  us  away  for  a  time 
from  prayer,  the  study  and  contemplation  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
other  objects  for  which  that  day  was  instituted:  but  it  is  certainly 
opposed,  both  to  the  letter  and  to  the  spirit  of  God's  commandment, 
to  devote  the  Sabbath,  in  any  measure,  to  amusements,  entertain- 
ments, or  other  purposes  which  may  distract  us  from  the  object  for 
which  we  have  received  this  incalculable  gift  of  the  Sabbath  day; 
namely,  to  assist  us,  in  these  our  earthly  pilgrimages,  to  find  the 
"Eternal  City"  beyond. 

It  has  been  said  by  a  well-known  writer  (Dr.  Sumner,  formerly 
Bishop  of  Chester)  that  there  was  no  surer  test  of  the  spiritual 
state  than  the  degree  of  esteem  in  which  the  Sabbath  was  held; 
and  I  think  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  correctness  of  that  view, 
because  we  find  that  God  blesses  those  who  keep  the  Sabbath,  and 


508  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

extends  to  them  his  favor  at  all  times.  "Blessed  is  the  man  that 
doeth  this,  and  the  son  of  man  that  layeth  hold  on  it;  that  keepeth 
the  Sabbath  from  polluting  it,  and  keepeth  his  hand  from  doing  any 
evil."  (Isaiah  56:  2).  "If  thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  the  Sab- 
bath, from  doing  thy  pleasure  on  my  holy  day;  and  call  the  Sabbath 
a  delight,  the  holy  of  the  Lord,  honorable;  and  shalt  honor  him,  not 
doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure,  nor  speaking 
thine  own  words:  then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in  the  Lord;  and 
I  will  cause  thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth,  and  feed 
thee  with  the  heritage  of  Jacob  thy  father:  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord  hath  spoken  it."  (Isaiah  58:  13-14). 

Thus,  by  an  honest  and  conscientious  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath day,  the  spiritual  life  is  strengthened  and  built  up,  and  the 
blessings  and  favors  of  God  our  Father  are  vouchsafed  to  us.  But 
let  us  remember  that  we  are  not  entitled  to  devote  the  Sabbath  to 
any  secular  purpose,  and  that  if  we  do  so,  we  do  it  at  our  peril. 


PRAYER. 

FOR  THE  IMPROVEMENT   ERA. 


Prayer  is  the  safe-guard  of  the  soul, 

Enriched  by  love  divine; 
Arid  blest  is  he  or  she  who  holds 

This  treasure  most  sublime. 

— George  W.  Crocheron. 


THE  CASTLE  BUILDER. 


»      "n 


BY  NEPHI  ANDERSON,  AUTHOR  OF   ADDED  UPON,"   MARCUS  KING, 

MORMON,"  ETC. 


PAKf  SECOND. 
I. 

NEW  CONDITIONS — REMINISCENT. 

The  rain  came  in  great  gushes  from  the  storm  clouds  as  they 
were  driven  inland  from  the  sea.  It  sputtered  down  the  tin  pipes 
from  the  roofs,  and  filled  the  gutters  with  a  brown  flood.  Quite  a 
number  of  people  on  the  street  had  been  caught  unawares,  and 
were  making  rapid  strides  for  shelter.  Among  them  was  Harald 
Einersen,  Head  Master  in  the  West  Akerby  school.  He,  it  seems, 
was  rather  more  amused  than  annoyed  over  the  fact  that  he  had 
left  his  umbrella  at  home  and  was  now  getting  a  good  soaking. 
His  fur  cap  soon  became  heavy,  and  the  drops  of  water  trickled 
down  to  the  lowest  point  of  his  closely-trimmed  beard.  The  gas 
lamps,  on  the  corner  of  the  side-street  up  which  he  turned,  cast 
their  reflections  on  the  wet  stone  pavement.  The  pools  shone  with 
light,  at  the  corner,  but  some  distance  away  from  the  well-lighted 
windows  of  the  business  block,  the  mud  resumed  its  natural,  black 
color.  Climbing  up  a  number  of  steps,  cut  into  the  natural  ledge 
of  the  hill,  he  soon  turned  into  the  hall  of  a  house  which  stood  on 
an  elevation  overlooking  the  town  on  one  side,  and  the  sea  on 
the  other. 

He  stamped  vigorously  in  the  hall,  and  as  he  was  hanging  up 
his  soaked  coat  and  cap,  a  door  opened  and  let  in  a  stream  of  light. 

"Is  that  you,  Einersen?"  some  one  asked. 

"What  isn't  washed  away.    That  is  what  I  call  rain."    Harald 


610  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

stepped  into  the  dining  room,  where  Mrs.  Jacobsen  scolded  him  for 
not  taking  his  umbrella.  He  took  it  all  good  naturedly,  and  smiled 
the  while — smiled  in  a  way  which  indicated  that  something  was  to 
be  covered  up  by  it. 

"Had  it  been  in  Bergen,  now,  I  might  have  caused  a  runaway," 
said  he. 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"Why,  don't  you  know  that  in  Bergen,  when  the  horses  see  a 
man  without  an  umbrella,  they  think  him  some  strange  object,  get 
frightened,  and  run  away!" 

Mrs.  Jacobsen  did  not  deign  to  encourage  this  levity,  so  she 
made  no  reply,  but  busied  herself  with  the  table. 

"I  do  not  wish  for  any  supper  to  night,  explained  Harald.  "I 
had  lunch  down  town,  not  long  ago.  If  there's  a  fire,  I'll  go  into 
my  room  straightway;  all  right,  thank  you." 

His  room  was  warm  and  cosy.  The  lamp  was  burning  low  on 
the  table.  He  turned  it  up  to  a  full  blaze,  then  closed  the  shutters. 
He  heard  the  rain  beat  against  the  glass.  Then,  drawing  his  chair 
up  to  the  stove,  he  leaned  his  elbow  on  the  table,  took  an  envelope 
from  his  pocket,  and  drew  from  it  a  letter,  which  he  read  care- 
fully. Then  folding  it  again,  he  replaced  it  in  the  envelope  which  he 
put  into  his  pocket.  He  then  opened  the  top  door  of  the  stove, 
and  sat  for  a  long  time  intently  looking  at  the  red  coals.  Another 
act  in  his  life's  drama  was  about  to  close.  Soon,  the  curtain 
would  fall.  Well,  perhaps  the  act  just  played  had  been  long 
enough,  and  it  was  time  for  a  change  For  nearly  four  years 
Harald  Einersen  had  lived  at  Akerby;  two  years  of  that  time,  as  a 
grade  teacher,  and  nearly  two  years  as  Head  Master;  but  now  he 
had  resigned,  because  his  resignation  had  been  expected,  and  the 
letter  in  his  pocket  stated  that  his  services  would  not  be  needed 
longer,  after  the  end  of  the  term — and  for  this  state  of  affairs,  he 
could  give  thanks  to  his  one-time  acquaintance,  the  Reverend  A. 
Bange  who  had  recently  been  appointed  to  the  district  of  Akerby, 
Southern  Norway. 

Harald  felt  in  reminiscent  mood.  It  was  a  good  time  for 
stock-taking,  so  he  went  back  to  his  boyhood  days  at  Opdal,  and 
lived  again  in  memory  its  hardships  and  pleasures.  Then  the 
moving  to  Nordland,   and  his  fishing  at  Lofoten.     One  week  of 


THE  CASTLE  BUILDER.  511 

Tsright,  summer  weather  at  Sandstad  was  overflowing  with  remem- 
brances. Then  his  second  year  at  Lofoten,  his  saving,  his  pinch- 
ing to  gather  money.  Then  his  four  long  years  of  school  life, 
breaking  off  his  studies  each  year  to  catch  cod  with  the  Lofoten 
fleet.  Oh,  the  joy,  the  hardships  of  those  years !  At  times,  how 
short;  at  other  times,  how  long  and  painful!  But  at  last,  the 
final  examinations  and  his  diplomas!  He  remembered  how  that  on 
the  day  after  he  received  it,  he  sold  enough  of  his  persona} 
property  to  buy  a  steamboat  ticket  to  Vangen.  He  walked  up  to 
Opdal.  It  was  in  the  month  of  June,  and  the  woods  were  delight- 
ful. He  found  his  grandmother  residing  with  his  father.  She 
was  on  her  death  bed,  but  when  she  saw  Harald  come  in,  she 
raised  up  from  her  pillow,  took  his  head  between  her  thin  hands 
and  pressed  it  down  on  her  shoulder.  Then  Harald  produced  his 
diploma,  a  large  sheet  which  made  a  creaking  noise  when  he  un_ 
rolled  it,  and  showed  it  to  her.  She  understood  in  a  minute  what 
it  was,  though  she  could  read  only  the  large,  printed  words. 
Grandmother  was  satisfied.     A  few  days  thereafter,  she  died. 

And  then  he  obtained  the  school  at  Akerby,  and  did  so  well 
in  his  work  that  he  was  promoted  to  Head  Master. 

Harald  arose  from  his  seat,  poked  the  fire,  then  aimlessly 
rearranged  some  books  on  the  table.  A  violin  hung  on  the  wall. 
He  took  it  down,  tightened  some  of  its  strings,  scraped  the  bow 
across  it  a  number  of  times,  then  replaced  it.  On  the  wall  hung 
an  old-fashioned  clock,  whose  weights  reached  to  the  floor.  •  He 
pushed  the  heavier  weight  up,  then  returned  to  his  chair  by  the 
stove. 

So  far  he  had  realized  every  proper  ambition  of  his  life — 
save  one — and  they  had  been  many.  He  now  smiled  at  some  of 
them,  simple,  childish  castles,  which  had  long  since  been  built, 
then  torn  down  to  make  room  for  others,  statelier,  grander. 
These  were  some  of  them:  to  get  away  from  herding  sheep;  to  get 
enough  to  eat;  to  have  a  suit  of  clothes  made  by  a  tailor;  to  be- 
come a  fisherman;  to  be  able  to  handle  a  boat  in  a  storm;  to  be 
master  and  owner  of  a  boat  at  Lofoten,  (this  latter  he  could  have 
been,  as  he  had  money  enough  to  purchase  one);  to  make  his 
grandmother  comfortable;  to  become  a  schoolmaster;  to — well, 
no;  one  castle  was  yet  unbuilt.     The  foundation  stones  had  been 


512  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

laid  long  years  ago,  and  he  had  yet  hopes  that  under  the  rank^ 
dead  grass  that  covered  them,  there  still  lay  the  solid  rocks  fit  to 
bear  a  beautiful  superstructure. 

Harald's  eyes  wandered  from  the  fire,  and  rested  upon  a 
photograph  standing  on  his  table.  He  moved  it  into  a  better 
light,  and  then  steadily  looked  at  it.  It  was  the  same  Thora 
Bernhard  that  he  had  seen  years  ago,  but  now  a  woman  in  very 
deed.  The  face  was  fuller,  but  there  were  the  same  large  eyes, 
full,  shapely  mouth,  wavy  hair,  and  sweet,  sad  expression.  Her 
signature  was  underneath,  dated  at  Paris.  That  little  trip  to 
Nordlandj  eight  years  ago,  had  only  been  the  initiative,  for  Thora 
had  traveled  the  world  over,  since.  She  had  written  to  him,  tell- 
ing of  the  sights  in  other  lands.  He  had  answered,  informing  her 
of  his  progress  at  school.  She  had  appeared  pleased  at  the  good 
news.  On  three  occasions  when  he  had  been  at  Opdal,  Thora 
had  been  away  from  home,  so  he  had  not  seen  her.  Once, 
when  she  was  at  Pergen.  he  had  made  an  effort  to  meet  her,  but 
he  imagined  that  she  wished  to  evade  him;  so  from  that  time  on, 
he  was  very  careful.  Her  last  letter  bore  a  date  two  years  old, 
but  the  photograph  had  been  received  less  than  a  year  ago.  The 
signature  bore  proof  that  she  was  yet  Miss  Thora  Bernhard; 
and,  as  he  gazed  intently  at  it  under  the  lamplight  on  his  table, 
bright,  beautiful  hope  swelled  anew  within  his  heart. 

The  postman's  knock  aroused  Harald,  and  he  went  to  the 
door.  In  his  mail  was  a  letter  from  Nordland,  from  Uncle  Erik. 
It  recounted;  first  of  all,  that  the  season  had  been  cold;  the  hay 
had  barely  been  saved,  and  the  barley  had  to  be  cut  green.  Last 
season's  fishing,  at  Lofoten,  however,  had  been  good.  Uncle  Erik 
was  not  well  enough  to  go,  but  his  boats  had  done  well.  Dagmar 
was  happily  married,  and  lived  in  Maria's  former  home.  Maria  still 
lived  with  father  and  mother,  and  the  children  were  growing  big 
and  wise. 

So,  cousin  Dagmar  was  married  at  last!  Well,  she  had  been, 
long  enough  about  it.  Married  happily — good  for  Dagmar;  she 
deserved  a  good  husband.  And  they  now  lived  in  Maria  and 
Johan's  cosy  house,  under  the  cliffs.  He  remembered  the  picture 
that  had  formed  itself  in  his  mind  the  day  that  he  had  sailed' 
across  the  fjord  with  Dagmar,  and  he  smiled  at  the  remembrance.. 


THE  CASTLE  BUILDER.  513 

Castle-building  was  such  a  pleasant  occupation,  anyway.  What 
if  all  did  not  reach  completion,  or  the  stage  of  realization.  Ma- 
terial for  more  was  unlimited,  and  it  cost  nothing,  save  the  pleas- 
ing task  of  gathering;  and  so,  true  to  this  theory,  Harald,  as  he 
reviewed  the  photograph  before  him,  built  another-  castle. 

Thora  stood  in  the  doorway  looking  down  the  road  for  his 
coming.  Her  beautiful  hair  hung  in  two  long  braids  down  her 
shoulders — that  was  to  please  him.  The  white  apron  was  a  sign 
that  dinner  was  ready.  The  house  was  a  low,  wooden  structure, 
one  of  those  airy,  summer  buildings  which  the  well-to-do  Nor- 
wegians were  building,  adorned  with  many  projections  and  odd  car- 
vings. At  the  rear  stood  the  unbroken  pine  forest.  In  the  fore- 
ground was  a  small  patch  of  grass,  with  a  path  leading  down  from 
the  door  to  the  road  which  skirted  the  edge  of  the  fjord. 

Mrs.  Jacobsen  knocked  at  his  door,  and  the  picture  vanished. 
Would  he  not  have  some  coffee,  bread  and  butter,  before  he  went 
to  bed?  but  he  declined,  with  thanks,  much  to  his  good  landlady's 
disappointment.  He  replenished  the  fire,  and  then  made  an  effort 
to  look  over  some  affairs  pertaining  to  his  school  work;  but  his 
mind  wandered.  Why  had  Pastor  Bange  again  crossed  his  path? 
He  entertained  an  aversion  for  the  man,  ever  since  their  meeting 
at  Lof oten,and  it  seemed  that  the  pastor  had  neither  forgotten  nor 
forgiven  Harald  for  the  stand  he  had  taken  that  day  at  his  cousin's 
burial.  There  would  be  no  use  in  resenting  the  pastor's  interfer- 
ence— Harald  knew  that  to  be  useless.  The  best  thing  to  do  was 
to  resign  as  gracefully  as  possible,  which  he  had  done.  Perhaps 
he  had  been  unwise  in  the  active  part  he  had  taken  in  politics 
during  the  past  year.  Perhaps,  also,  he  had  expressed  his  reli- 
gious views  rather  freely,  for  his  own  worldly  good,  at  least. 
Certainly,  he  neither  could  nor  would  change  his  most  sacred  be- 
liefs in  the  hopes  of  worldly  preferment  or  gain.  He  had  been 
compelled,  because  of  his  position,  to  present,  at  least,  an  outward 
form  of  orthodoxy,  but  had  often  of  late,  asked  himself  if  he  were 
doing  right,  even  in  that,  when  at  heart  he  did  not  believe  in  many 
of  the  creeds  and  practices  of  the  state  religion.  Many  times 
Johan  Bernsen's  definition  of  religion  came  to  him,  and  especially 
since  he  had  become  better  acquainted  with  the  laws  of  nature 
as  revealed  in   the  arts  and  sciences.     Perhaps,  after  all,  it  was 


514  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

well  that  he  was  to  get  out  of  the  teaching  profession.  A  man 
had  no  business  to  teach  something  which  he,  himself,  did  not 
thoroughly  believe. 

Did  the  face,  in  the  picture  before  him,  smile?  Harald  Einer- 
sen,  your  imagination  is  very  vivid  to  night.  He  went  out.  The 
rain  had  ceased.  A  steamer,  all  aglow  with  lights,  was  sailing 
across  the  bay.  The  town  below  him  had  grown  quiet.  The 
strong  wind  blew,  and  the  waves  were  heard  beating  against  the 
rocks  below.  Harald  looked  up  into  the  sky.  The  clouds  were 
scurrying  by,  now  and  then  revealing  patches  of  deep  blue.  Up 
towards  the  zenith  he  beheld  the  Polar  star  immovably  fixed  in 
the  heavens,  shining  brightly  and  steadily,  bringing  to  his  mind 
Thora,  and  her  words  uttered  that  night  on  the  fjord  in  Nord- 
land. 

H. 

HARALD  DREAMS, — AN    INTERVIEW    WITH    PASTOR    BANGE. 

Harald  Einersen's  dreams  did  not  end  with  the  day.  It  was 
towards  midnight  when  he  fell  asleep,  and  then  he  had  a  strange 
dream.  He  thought  he  stood  on  a  hill  overlooking  a  wide,  green 
valley.  As  he  gazed,  wondering  where  he  was,  his  grandmother 
came  up  the  grassy  slope  towards  him.  There  was  nothing 
strange  in  the  meeting,  but  it  seemed  that  there  had  been  no  long 
separation.  She  spoke  very  earnestly,  somewhat  in  her  old  man- 
ner, bidding  him  always  defend  the  right  and  honor  the  truth,  no 
matter  how  difficult  the  task  might  seem.  Then  what  appeared 
to  be  another  woman  came  up  the  hill.  She  had  in  her  arms 
shoots,  and  roots  of  flowers  and  shrubbery, which,  when  she  reached 
Harald,  she  placed  on  the  ground.  She  approached  him,  took 
both  his  hands  in  hers,  leaned  over  and  touched  her  lips  to  his 
cheek;  then  picking  up  her  plants  again,  she  disappeared.  Then 
he  knew  that  his  mother  had  kissed  him.  After  this,  Johan  Bern- 
sen  came  in  sight,  and  following  him,  other  men  and  women,  whom 
he  did  not  know.  These  did  not  climb  the  hill,  but  pursued  their 
journey  down  the  valley.  Johan  waved  his  hand  towards  Harald 
as  he  passed.     Men   continued  to  come  faster  and  faster,  more 


THE  CASTLE  BUILDER.  515 

and  more,  great  crowds  of  them,  till  they  seemed  to  fill  the  valley. 
He  looked  and  beheld  the  multitude  reach  to  the  horizon.  Still 
they  came,  thousands,  millions  of  them.  The  sight  tilled  him  with 
awe !  The  men  were  strong  and  stalwart,  many  of  them  with  beards 
and  long  hair.  The  women  were  also  wonderfully  robust  and  beau- 
tiful, their  hair  falling  in  waves  over  their  shoulders.  The  whole 
throng  reminded  him  of  the  picture  he  had  seen  of  his  forefathers, 
the  Vikings,  as  they  appeared  unequipped  for  war.  As  the  throngs 
surged  onward,  Harald  retreated  further  up  the  hill,  fearful  that 
he  would  be  tramphd  underfoot. 

"Fear  not,"  said  a  voice  at  his  side,  and  there  stood  his  father, 
"these  are  Norsemen,  your  ancestors  and  mine,  brave,  noble  and 
virtuous.  They  lived  according  to  the  light  which  God  gave  to 
them,  and  that  is  all  any  of  us  can  do." 

Harald  awoke  with  the  morning,  and  with  the  announcement 
from  his  landlady  that  his  coffee  was  ready.  He  drank  his  coffee 
as  usual,  from  the  small  table  at  his  bedside,  and  sipped  it  with  his 
pieces  of  cut  sugar — but  the  dream  remained  with  him  all  the  day. 

When  it  became  known  that  the  Head  Master  of  West  Akerby 
School  was  about  to  resign  his  position,  speculation  became  rife 
as  to  the  reason.  Mr.  Einersen  had  certainly  done  his  duty.  He 
was  well  liked,  both  by  teachers  and'  students.  His  political 
friends  especially  asked  him  what  was  the  cause  of  his  action,  but 
they  received  no  satisfactory  reply.  The  fact  was  that  Harald 
himself  was  not  sure  of  the  cause  of  his  removal.  He  knew  that 
Pastor  Bange  was  implicated,  but  to  what  extent  he  did  not  know. 
He  made  up  his  mind  not  to  make  a  stir  about  it — the  change 
would  give  him  a  rest,  and  a  chance,  perhaps,  at  other  labor — but 
for  his  own  satisfaction,  he  desired  to  know  the  status  of  his  case. 
He  would  go  to  Pastor  Bange  and  ask. 

Harald  no  sooner  came  to  this  conclusion  than  he  acted.  The 
lamps  were  being  lighted  in  the  streets  when  he  rang  the  bell  at 
the  parsonage.  He  had  visited  there  many  times  when  the  former 
pastor  was  its  occupant,  but  this  visit  was  his  first  since  Pastor 
Vaag  had  removed.  A  girl  came  to  the  door  and  ushered  him  into 
the  stuffy  little  room  in  which  the  provider  for  men's  souls  re- 
ceived his  visitors.  The  girl  lighted  a  hanging-lamp  and  went 
about  her  duties. 


516  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Harald  seated  himself  on  a  very  much-worn  sofa.  On  the 
wall  opposite  hung  a  picture  which  had  always  given  him  the 
shivers.  It  represented  Christ  on  the  cross.  The  crown  of  thorns 
was  piercing  the  flesh,  and  streams  of  blood  were  flowing  down  the 
face.  Ah,  what  an  expression  of  horror  the  artist  had  concent- 
ered in  that  face!  How  could  people  tolerate  such  alleged  art  in 
their  best  room! 

The  door  quietly  opened,  and  Pastor  Bange  stepped  in.  The 
clergyman  had  aged  considerably  since  his  Nordland  experience, 
but  his  face  still  bore  that  sanctimonious  smile  so  characteristic  of 
many  preachers.  The  lips  and  chin  were  clean-shaven.  The  hair 
was  thick,  long,  and  mixed  with  gray.  Two  straggling  tufts 
reached  down  upon  each  round,  sleek  cheek, 

Harald  arose,  and  the  pasto"r  shook  his  hand,  smiling  placidly 
all  the  while,  his  teeth  gleaming  in  the  lamp-light.  Harald  sat 
down,  and  the  pastor  rested  in  a  chair  by  the  table  under  the 
lamp. 

"You  are  looking  well.  Pastor  Bange,"  said  Harald.  He 
saw  no  use  in  being  too  blunt.  "Nordland  must  have  agreed  with 
you." 

"I  try  to  make  any  part  of  the  Lord's  vineyard,  to  which  his 
pleasure  calls  me,  agreeable  with  me,"  was  the  reply. 

"Very  sensible,  that,"  said  Harald.  "In  life's  various  up's  and 
down's,  it  is  a  blessing  to  be  able  to  adjust  one's  self  to  each 
change." 

"Yes;  and  a  change  is  ofttimesfor  the  best."  Harald  thought 
he  detected  a  little  aggressiveness  in  his  tone,  so  he  was  reserved 
no  longer. 

"What  I  came  to  see  you  about,  Pastor  Bange,  is  this  resig- 
nation which  I  have  been  asked  to  hand  in.  I'm  not  going  to  find 
fault  with  it  at  all,  as  I  intended  not  to  teacTi  much  longer,  any- 
way; but  you  know,  folks  will  talk — while  I  believe  I  have  given 
satisfaction  to  most  of  our  people — yet,  for  my  own  assurance,  I 
should  like  to  know." 

The  pastor  said  nothing,  but  his  smile  was  as  bland  as  ever. 

"You  know  something  about  it,  don't  you?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  the  pastor. 

"You  had  something  to  do  with  it?" 


THE  CASTLE  BUILDER.  517 

"Yes,  I  had  something  to  do  with  it." 

"And  what  is  the  fault?  may  I  ask." 

"Well,  Mr.  Einersen,  I  wish  to  be  plain  with  you.  It  is  part 
of  my  duty  you  know,  to  look  after  the  educational  interests  of 
the  people  in  my  parish.  I  must  see  that  the  pure  principles  of 
Christianity  are  taught  in  our  schools;  and  if  I  am  anything  of  a 
shepherd  of  the  fold  of  Christ,  I  must  see  that  wolves  are  driven 
away." 

"I  am  a  wolf,  then?" 

"Ah,  no;  that  was  a  mere  figure,  you  understand.  I  wouldn't 
say  that,  but  your  Christian  teaching,  I  mean  your  teaching  of 
our  holy  religion,  has  never  been  very  strong — it  has  been  very 
weak,  in  fact,  and  there  is  always  danger  of  our  children  drifting 
into  heresies,  or  even  into  infidelity,  altogether,  if  we  are  too 
loose  in  this  respect." 

"Have  I  been  teaching  heresies?" 

"Yes." 

"I  am  not  aware  of  it.     Will  you  please  explain?" 

"Yes,  I  will.  You  remember  sometime  ago  in  the  class  in 
physics,  you  were  talking  about  the  qualities  of  matter — you  re- 
member, don't  you?" 

"I  remember,  very  well." 

"You  said  that  matter  could  not  be  destroyed — it  could  only 
be  changed  in  form." 

"The  text-book  said  that." 

"Well;  then  one  of  the  students  asked  how  it  is  that,  if 
matter  could  not  be  destroyed,  it  could  be  created.  You,  if  I  am 
informed  rightly,  explained  that  matter  is  equally  uncreatable  as 
it  is  indestructible.  You  said  that  substance  is  eternal.  Then  the 
boy — you  remember  him — said  that  he  had  learned  in  his  cate- 
chism that  God  created  the  world  out  of  nothing.  Whereupon, 
you  explained  that  the  Bible  did  not  teach  that — it  was  merely  the 
catechism." 

It  was  Harald's  turn  to  smile  at  the  recollection  of  the  event 
which  the  pastor  had  narrated  correctly  enough. 

"Of  course,  Pastor  Bange,  that  was  the  only  thing  in  reason 
that  I  could  say." 

"You  implied  that  the  catechism  was  wrong." 


518  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

"Certainly;  when  it  came  to  a  conflict  between  the  catechism 
and  the  text-book  on  science,  I  decided  in  favor  of  the  text- 
book." 

"But  the  catechism  teaches  our  children  the  Christian  religion, 
and  when  you  deride  it,  you  weaken  the  faith  of  the  learners." 

"But  I  could  not  knowingly  teach  an  untruth  for  all  that." 

"Teach  an  untruth!  Don't  you  believe  in  the  holy  script- 
ures?" 

"I  do;  but  the  scriptures  nowhere  teach  that  God  made  the 
world  out  of  nothing.     There's  a  Bible.     Show  me?" 

"No;  we'll  not  discuss  the  matter  further." 

The  pastor  arose  and  walked  to  his  desk  in  the  corner;  but 
Harald  remained  seated.  Pastor  Bange  saw  that  he  was  not  going, 
so  returned  to  the  seat  by  the  table.  He  kept  his  composure  very 
well. 

"That,  Mr.  Einersen,  is  but  a  sample  of  your  unorthodox 
teachings.  I  don't  say  that  you  have  meant  any  harm  in  it,but  I  will 
say  that  I  consider  it  very  unwise  to  keep  you  in  your  present 
position  as  Head  Master  of  West  Akerby  School."  The  movement  of 
the  lips  was  meant  for  a  smile. 

"Well,  Pastor  Bange,  I  am  pleased  that  you  have  spoken  so 
plainly  to  me,  and  now  while  we  are  about  it,  I  may  as  well  speak 
plainly,  too — I  hope  you  will  not  leave" — but  the  pastor  simply 
arose  to  adjust  the  lamp-wick — "I  want  you  to  understand  me,  so 
that,  if  in  the  future  we  ever  have  dealings  with  each  other,  there 
will  be  a  mutual  understanding." 

"Yes,"  and  the  preacher  clasped  his  hands  piously  in  front  of 
him. 

"I  claim  to  be  a  Christian,  continued  the  school-master.  I  be- 
lieve in  Christ.  I  believe  in  the  Bible,  though  there  are  many 
things  there  I  cannot  understand.  I  believe  there  are  many  good 
doctrines  taught  by  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church.  I  also  be- 
lieve there  are  many  truths  in  the  Methodist  church,  in  the  Bap- 
tist church,  and,  in  face,  in  all  churches.  I  am  broad-minded 
enough  not  to  judge  other  men's  faiths.  I  am  liberal,  enough, 
thank  God,  to  allow  all  men  a  right  to  their  beliefs.  I  never  want 
to  become  so  bigoted  that  I  would  deprive  a  fellow-being  of  a 
Christian  burial,  for  instance" — the  pastor  did  not  wince  at  the 


THE  CASTLE  BUILDER.  519 

thrust — "I  am  willing  to  accept  truth  from  whatever  source  it 
comes — I  hope  I  shall  be  ever  willing  to  discard  all  error,  when 
my  reason  decides  that  it  is  error.  As  to  saying  that  the  Lutheran 
church  is  a  repository  of  all  God's  truth,  that  is  ridiculous.  The 
church  teaches — mind  you,  I  do  not  say  the  Scriptures — many 
things  that  I  have  my  doubts  about.  So,  Pastor  Bange,  from  your 
standpoint,  I  suppose  you  are  justified  in  using  your  influence  in 
having  me  removed  from  my  position." 

"  Are  you  through  ?  " 

"Yes;  I  am  through." 

"  Then  you'll  excuse  me,  I  know.  I  have  an  appointment  in 
twenty  minutes  to  preach  at  a  missionary  meeting,  down  in  Strand 
street." 

Both  arose,  and  Harald  hastened  out.  The  self-contained  old 
priest  smiled  at  him  from  the  doorway,  as  he  proceeded  down  the 
path. 

Harald  did  not  go  home.  The  evening  was  pleasant.  The 
winter  air  was  crisp.  The  fog  had  lifted,  and,  on  such  nights,  he 
took  delight  in  viewing  the  harbor  or  strolling  along  the  strand, 
out  from  the  town.  Tonight,  his  desire  for  a  walk  was  strong,  so 
he  swung  briskly  down  Storgaden,  across  the  market  place,  to  the 
opening  by  the  wharves.  Here  a  fisher  woman  was  swinging  her 
arms  to  keep  warm,  and  was  trying  to  dispose  of  her  last  cod  at 
sacrifice  prices.  Harald  knew  all  the  fisherwomen,  for,  during  the 
day,  there  were  many  of  them,  and  he  usually  stopped  to  chat  with 
them;  but  this  one  lone  woman  out  in  the  cold,  attracted  him 
especially  that  night. 

"Good  evening,  mother,"  he  said,  as  he  approached  her, 
"  haven't  you  sold  out  yet?" 

"  Not  yet,  professor,"  said  the  woman,  with  a  curtesy. 

The  school  master  took  up  two  cod  fish  from  the  woman's 
barrow,  all  she  had. 

"Pretty  fine  fish,"  he  said,  "but  I  have  caught  better  ones — 
How  much  are  they  worth?" 

"I  paid  twenty-five  ore  each  for  them.  You  may  have  them 
for  that,  seeing  they  are  the  last,  and  I  can't  keep  them  over." 

"All  right,  here's  your  money.     Now  pack  up,  and  go  home." 

The  woman  willingly  did  so,  after  she  had  wrapped  the  fish  in 


520  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

a  newspaper  and  handed  them  to  the  purchaser.  Then  she  trudged 
off  with  her  barrow.  Harald  followed  her,  until  she  had  passed  the 
market  square,  and  then  he  stopped  her. 

"Here,  mother,  how  often  do  you  eat  fresh  fish?" 

"Not  very  often,  sir." 

"Well,  I  can't  cook  these  fish,  and  I  haven't  a  wife  to  cook 
them  for  me,  so  I'll  give  them  to  you,  if  you  will  promise  not  to  go 
back- and  try  to  sell  them  again,  but  take  them  home  and  eat  them 
yourself." 

The  woman  looked  at  him  and  hesitated.  Then  she  promised, 
taking  the  fish  with  apologies  and  profuse  thanks. 

"Tut,  tut,"  said  the  school  master,  "have  a  good  supper  tonight, 
and  be  sure  you  take  out  the  livers  and  make  molje  for  the  children." 

Harald  went  on  down  the  street  towards  the  water.  "It  was 
worth  fifty  ore,"  he  said  to  himself  "to  get  such  a  look  from  a  woman's 
eyes,  as  that  fisherwoman  gave  me." 

A  Salvation  Army  lass  sold  him  a  War  Cry.  As  he  looked 
under  the  ugly  poke  bonnet  at  the  pretty  face  of  the  girl,  the 
thought  came  to  Harald  that  here  was  a  brave  soul.  Indifferent  to 
the  scorn  of  the  world,  she  went  about  doing  her  duty,  as  she 
understood  it.  Would  Pastor  Bange,  would  he,  himself,  do  as 
much?  Yet  Pastor  Bange  would  say  that  she  was  a  poor,  deluded 
soul,  and  Harald,  also,  was  in  danger  of  judging  her. 

As  he  neared  the  water  where  the  warehouses  were  located,  a 
strong  odor  of  roasted  coffee  reached  him.  He  hurried  by,  as  the 
smell  was  never  agreeable  to  him.  As  he  passed  "The  Sailor's 
Home,"  he  heard  a  merry  company  within:  the  sailor  was  on  land 
again.  Then  he  strode  out  on  the  open  beach,  where  he  loved  to 
walk.  He  enjoyed  feeling  the  firm  yet  yielding  sand  under  his  feet. 
Cliffs  arose  on  one  side;  the  water  stretched  far  away  on  the  other 
—and  he  was  between.  The  rocks,  immovable,  bold,  resisting;  the 
sea,  endless,  powerful,  restless.  Here  the  elements  displayed  their 
majesty  and  power.  The  sea  waged  eternal  warfare,  yet  the  cliff 
laughed  only,  or  roared,  according  to  the  fury  of  the  onslaught. 
"Give  me  time,"  said  the  sea,  "and  I  will  conquer  you — I  will  grind 
you  to  atoms,  and  give  you  to  the  winds,  or  line  my  own  bed  with 
you — just  give  me  time."  But  what  thea?  Would  the  mountain 
be  destroyed?     Only  the  form;  the  material  would  be  there.     The 


THE  CASTLE  BUILDER.  521 

earth  might  melt  with  fervent  heat;  the  ocean  be  turned  into  mist; 
the  whole  globe  might  be  ground  into  dust,  yei,  the  dust  would  be 
somewhere.  'Yet  the  world  was  made  out  of  nothing — made  out  of 
nothing!    Harald  laughed  aloud  at  such  heights  of  absurdity. 

His  mind  reverted  to  the  interview  with  Pastor  Bange.  What  a 
smooth  man  the  pastor  was;  how  strange  that  nearly  all  preachers 
whom  he  had  known  partook  somewhat  of  the  same  bland  nature ! 
Why  should  ministers  of  the  gospel  dress,  and  talk,  and  act,  as  if 
they  belonged  to  another  caste?  Why  should  the  study  of  religion 
make  men  foolish  or  unnatural?  Better,  then,  return  to  the  ancient, 
heathen  worship  of  the  forefathers.  Their  religion  made  them,  at 
least,  strong,  and  brave,  and  just,  while  the  products  of  modern 
Christianity  were,  to  an  alarming  extent,  dull,  and  weak,  and  im- 
moral. 

Harald  had  never  delved  very  deeply  into  religion.  True,  he 
had  taken  the  usual  superficial  course  of  Biblical  theology,  but  any 
profound  thought  he  had  never  bestowed  upon  it.  As  he  remem- 
bered, perhaps  the  nearest  to  that  was  when  he  sat  with  his 
grandmother  reading  the  Bible  for  her.  At  confirmation,  the  prin- 
cipal impression  was  that,  if  he  passed,  he  would  be  through  with 
the  priest.  His  later  school  studies  had  been  mostly  of  a  secular 
nature.  Yet  Harald  had  a  strong  religious  disposition,  perhaps, 
more  after  the  manner  of  that  expressed  by  his  cousin  Johan  than 
that  exhibited  by  the  clergy  of  the  day. 

As  Harald  went  homeward,  he  passed  through  Strand  street. 
As  he  neared  the  mission  church  there,  he  remembered  that  Pastor 
Bange  was  to  preach.  The  church  was  full  of  people,  and  Harald 
slipped  in,  and  stood  by  the  door.  An  unusual  occasion  must  have 
brought  together  the  unusually  large  crowd.  Pastor  Bange  was 
summing  up  his  arguments  which,  Harald  learned,  were  against 
certain  heresies,  that  had  lately  crept  into  their  midst.  The  most 
dangerous  of  these  doctrines  was  that  of  hope  for  the  departed, 
who  have  died  unrepentant;  that  is,  salvation  for  the  dead.  "We 
have  nothing  in  Holy  Writ  to  justify  us  in  the  belief  that  those  who 
do  not  come  to  Christ  in  this  life  will  ever  have  a  chance  in  the  life 
to  come."  "We  have  nothing  here,"  and  the  pastor  closed  his  Bible 
with  a  slam.  "We  have  nothing  here  inspiring  the  belief  that  the 
heathen  will  be  saved,  but  we  have  many  words  of  God  which  dis- 


522  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

tinctly  doom  them  to  the  everlasting  torments  of  hell — let  us 
pray." 

A  shudder  went  through  Harald.  He  stood  ^rfectly  still, 
staring  straight  at  the  preacher,  hearing  every  word  of  that  prayer, 
which  was: 

"  We  thank  thee,  0  Lord,  that  we  know  there  is  no  salvation  for 
the  dead;  that  in  this  life  only,  we  have  hope  of  salvation;  that  now  is 
the  accepted  time  of  grace;  that  the  gates  oj  heaven  are  now  open  day 
and  night — yea,  wide  open  and  the  sinner  may  freely  come  to  thee. 
Yea,  Lord,  we  thank  thee  that  we  are  not  tempted  to  sin  now,  by 
believing  that  there  is  hope  beyond  the  grave.  Help  us,  0  Lord,  to 
love  thee  for  this,  and  give  thy  name  the  praise  and  honor.     Amen." 

Some  deep  feeling  of  the  heart  was  touched  in  Harald  Einer- 
sen.     He  could  not  analyse  it.     He  could  not  describe  it,  but  he 
knew  its  chief  element  was  resentment.     All  else  was  chaos.     He 
hardly  knew  how  he  reached  home  that  night. 
f  To  be  continued.) 


KNOW  THYSELF. 


We  live  in  a  superficial  age,  and  hurry  along  in  a  happy-go-lucky 
way,  ignorant  or  heedless  of  the  capacities  of  our  minds  and  bodies.  The 
precocious  youth,  the  boy  or  girl  of  average  intelligence,  or  the  dunce, 
should  alike  study  his  own  strength,  his  weakness,  his  likes,  his  dislikes, 
his  bent.  "Know  thyself,"  was  spoken  of  old  at  Delphi;  and,  though 
the  oracle  has  long  been  mute,  the  words  are  of  eternal  significance. 
No  better  advice  was  ever  given  to  man.  Philosophy  finds  its  highest 
province  in  the  study  of  our  own  natures.  Knowledge  thus  gained,  and 
that  alone,  will  teach  the  round  boy  to  avoid  the  square  holes  as  he 
would  shun  falsehood  and  dishonor.  It  has  been  well  said  that  no  man 
ever  made  an  ill  figure  who  understood  his  own  talents,  nor  a  good  one 
who  mistook  them. — Success. 


SOME  FEATURES  OF  JAPANESE  LIFE. 

BY  ELDER   ALMA   0.   TAYLOR,   MISSIONARY   TO   JAPAN. 


{Concluded.) 

Being  left  alone  for  some  hours,  we  had  a  chance  to  reflect  a 
little  on  the  change  that  had  come  to  us,  and  to  observe  more 
closely  the  pecuUar  arrangement  of  our  room.  The  presence  of  a 
table  and  three  chairs  robbed  our  apartment  of  the  typical  ap- 
pearance of  an  ideal  Japanese  room;  and  a  large  carpet,  lying 
loosely  on  the  floor,  concealed  from  view  the  grass  mats  so  com- 
mon in  every  house.  In  one  corner  of  the  room,  stood  a  small 
clothes-chest,  not  more  than  three  feet  high,  containing  two 
shelves  and  one  drawer,  which  we  found  insufficient  to  hold  our 
clothing,  let  alone  the  books  and  other  trinkets  belonging  to  our 
list  of  chattels.  Add  to  this  a  small  fire-box,  and  a  set  of  tea 
dishes,  and  the  furniture  is  complete.  A  white  linen  cloth  cov- 
ered the  table,  and  in  the  centre  there  was  a  beautiful  boquet  of 
chrysanthemums,  the  flower  for  which  Japan  is  famous.  The  door 
and  window  frames  were  very  low,  and,  in  fact,  the  ceiling  was 
only  about  nine  feet  from  the  floor,  which  height  is  quite  sufficient 
for  the  Japanese,  but  so  odd  to  us  that  we  felt  almost  like  we 
were  in  a  child's  play-house,  or  in  the  land  of  the  Lilliputs.  The 
Japanese  idea  of  decorative  art  is  very  simple,  and,  to  the  eyes  of 
the  foreigner,  plain  and  uninteresting.  Pictures  have  little  faci- 
nation  as  wall  ornaments,  consequently  framed  paintings  and 
enlarged  photographs  are  seldom  used  to  give  attractiveness  to  the 
interior  view.  A  poetic  sentiment  written  on  a  plain  piece  cf 
white  paper,  by  a  Chinese  pen  artist,  and  a  roll  of  silk  cloth 
whereon  is  painted  two  quarreling  birds,  were  the  only  adornments 
on  our  walls.  But  in  spite  of  the  absence  of  those  things  which 
make  foreign  homes  attractive,  we  were  content  and  happy,  for 
everything  was  new  and  clean.    The  warm  rays  of  the  midday  sun 


524  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

streamed  in  through  the  window  and  cheered  our  hearts  until  we 
felt  to  thank  God  for  directing  us  to  so  favorable  a  place. 

It  is  the  custom  in  our  hotel  to  provide  the  baths  in  the 
afternoon  at  two  or  three  o'clock,  and  as  the  Japanese  are  very 
particular  about  the  cleanliness  of  their  own  persons,  they  also 
take  a  great  interest  in  providing  for  their  guests.  There  is  only 
one  bath  connected  with  this  place.  As  the  man  is  the  nobler  sex, 
he  generally  takes  his  bath  first,  according  to  his  rank  or  dignity. 
Evidently,  we  were  looked  upon  as  the  most  dignified  persons  in 
the  hotel,  as  the  maid  came  to  our  room  at  about  three  o'clock 
and  informed  us  by  signs  and  motions,  (for  we  could  not  understand 
what  she  said)  that  the  water  was  now  hot,  and  would  we  please 
bathe  first? 

I  had  heard  considerable  about  Japanese  baths,  and,  in  fact, 
while  in  Yokohama,  bathed  in  one  a  time  or  two.  In  my  estima- 
tion, the  bath-rooms  in  first-class  Japanese  houses  are  far  superior 
to  those  found  in  American  or  Europeon  homes,  not  because  of  the 
costliness  of  the  tubs  or  the  elaborate  finish  of  the  rooms,  but  be- 
cause of  their  simplicity  and  convenience.  Were  I  asked  to  name 
one  luxury  in  Japanese  life,  I  should-  say,  without  exception,  the 
bath  stands  foremost.  Out  of  the  few  bathing  apartments  that 
I  have  seen,  the  one  connected  with  this  place  is  the  best.  It  is 
divided  by  sliding- doors  into  two  sections,  one  for  a  dressing-room 
and  the  other  for  the  tub  and  bathing  utensils.  The  tub  is  square, 
and  perhaps  four  feet  long,  three  feet  wide,  and  three  feet  deep; 
made  of  two  inch  plank,  and  scrubbed  so  thoroughly  that  it  always 
looks  as  if  the  carpenter  had  just  finished  its  construction.  In  one 
end,  there  is  an  oblong  copper  stove  which  occupies  about  a  foot 
of  space,  thus  making  the  bather's  portion  three  feet  square.  The 
stove  is  surrounded  by  wooden  slats  to  protect  the  bather's  body 
from  coming  in  contact  with  the  heated  metal.  The  tub  is  first 
filled  with  cold  water,  then  a  charcoal  fire  is  started  in  the  stove, 
which  heats  the  water  to  whatever  temperature  is  desired.  The 
tub  is  built  in  the  corner  of  the  room,  and  the  mouth  of  the  stove 
opens  in  the  adjoining  room  where  a  servant  is  stationed  to 
regulate  the  fire.  It  requires  from  an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a  half 
to  heat  the  water  to  the  temperature  used  by  the  natives — about 
one  hundred  and  twenty  degrees  Fahrenheit,  at  any  rate,  so  hot 


SOME  FEATURES  OF  JAPANESE  LIFE.  525 

that  we  are  unable  to  endure  it  without  first  turning  in  considerable 
cold  water.  There  is  one  other  small  tub,  and  several  wooden 
vessels,  in  the  room,  all  of  which  come  in  handy  during  the  bath. 
The  floor  is  of  wood,  and  so  constructed  that  it  drains  the  water 
into  a  small  trough,  through  which  it  is  conducted  into  one  of  the 
drainage  ditches  so  common  in  Japan.  The  floor  of  the  dressing- 
room  is  covered  with  matting,  and,  as  hooks  are  scarce,  the  floor  is 
also  used  as  a  clothes-rack.  The  window  is  of  glass,  and  without 
stain  or  curtain;  consequently,  the  bather  is  more  or  less  exposed 
to  the  view  of  the  servants  who  are  continually  passing  along  the 
path  just  outside.  But  nudeness  has  no  attraction  in  Japan,  being, 
as  one  writer  has  expressed  it,  "seen,  but  not  looked  at."  Families 
of  the  high  and  middle  classes  keep  a  special  female  servant  to 
look  after  the  bath-room,  and  they  consider  it  quite  impossible  to 
bathe  successfully  without  the  assistance  of  this  servant,  who 
waits  on  the  men  as  well  as  the  women.  The  feelings  of  the 
''Mormon"  elders  regarding  this  habit,  are  too  well-known  to  need 
mention  here;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  we  gave  orders,  through  Mr. 
Hiroi,  to  the  landlord  and  servants  that  we  must  be  allowed  to 
bathe  alone.  The  perplexed  look  that  came  over  the  landlord's 
face,  when  we  made  this  announcement,  was,  indeed,  amusing. 
Having  had  a  maid  wash  his  back  all  his  life,  he  did  not  see  how  we 
would  be  able  to  get  ourselves  clean  without  assistance,  but  we  told 
him  that  we  had  been  educated  in  such  matters,  so  it  was  proclaimed 
on  the  house-tops  that  the  foreigners  could  wash  their  own  backs. 
Though  rid  of  this  evil,  the  thoughts  of  appearing  before  an 
open  window  in  a  nude  condition,  were  not  the  most  pleasant,  and, 
at  my  first  trial,  I  paused  for  a  moment,  feeling  half  inclined  to 
back  out,  but  knowing  that  I  would  have  to  come  to  it,  sooner  or 
later,  I  undressed,  trusting  to  good  luck  to  keep  anyone  from  pas- 
ing  while  I  was  thus  engaged.  The  fates,  however  were  against 
me,  for  the  maids  passed  to  and  fro  in  rapid  succession,  keeping 
me  continually  on  the  dodge  to  get  out  of  sight.  A  time  or  two, 
I  lay  down  on  the  floor,  from  which  position  I  arose  cautiously  for 
fear  of  coming  in  contact  with  the  stray  glances  of  someone  else. 
These  recurring  interruptions  prevented  me  from  enjoying  myself 
as  I  have  done  since,  overcoming  the  timidity  that  characterized  my 
first  attempt. 


526  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

As  the  same  water  is  used  by  all  the  bathers,  it  is  quite  neces- 
sary that  a  different  system  to  the  one  used  in  European  lands  be 
adopted.  The  bather  ladles  his  body  with  soap  and  water,  washing 
himself  thoroughly  before  getting  into  the  tub;  thus  each  person 
enters  the  bath  already  clean,  to  enjoy  what  may  well  be  called 
"the  luxury  of  a  good  boiling."  Here  the  bather  soaks  for  some 
minutes,  after  which,  if  he  desires,  he  cools  off  by  using  the  hose 
attached  to  the  tap  to  spray  the  cold  water  over  his  body.  Step- 
ping from  the  main  floor  onto  an  elevated  platform,  near  the 
entrance  to  the  dressing-room,  he  dries  himself,  after  enjoying, 
what  I  consider,  one  of  the  best  home  baths  known  to  mankind. 
It  is  a  recreation  and  sport  to  which  I  now  look  forward  with  con- 
siderable pleasure.  The  room  being  built  as  it  is,  there  is  no 
restriction  as  to  how  the  water  is  splashed,  or  how  much  of  it  is 
used,  and  all  objections  to  so  many  bathing  in  the  same  water  are 
removed,  when  the  above  system  of  washing  is  observed;  and  it  is 
known  that  the  Japanese  take  a  great  pride  in  the  appearance  of 
their  skin,  bathing  every  day,  and,  in  some  districts,  two,  three^ 
and  even  four  times  a  day,  until  it  is  truthfully  said,  "A  Japanese 
crowd  is  the  sweetest  in  the  world."  When  I  had  finished  bath- 
ing, and  reported  to  my  companion  the  difficulty  1  had  had  trying 
to  wash  and  keep  out  of  sight  at  the  same  time,  he  decided  to 
defer  this  feature  of  his  initiation  till  the  following  day. 

Towards  evening,  we  began  to  feel  drowsy,  and  our  heads 
had  a  peculiar  tight  feeling,  as  if  we  were  going  to  have  the 
headache.  An  investigation  as  to  what  caused  the  same  sensations 
to  be  felt  by  us  both,  led  us  to  notice  the  gassy  smell  coming  from 
our  charcoal  stoves.  The  system  of  heating  in  Japanese  houses  is 
very  crude.  One  of  the  first  things  noticed  by  a  foreigner,  is  the 
absence  of  chimneys  on  the  houses.  The  fires  make  no  smoke, 
consequently  piping  is  not  used  to  conduct  to  the  outside  the 
fumes  arising  from  the  burning  fuel.  The  stoves  used  are  nothing 
more  than  small  boxes,  or  jars;  some  made  of  wood,  lined  with 
metal,  others  of  metal  entirely,  and  still  others  of  potter's  clay.  In 
these  stoves,  or  "hibachi"  as  they  are  called,  a  fire  is  made  con- 
sisting of  four  or  five  small  pieces  of  charcoal  which  slowly 
smoulder  away  to  ashes;  and,  as  the  top  of  the  stoves  are  entirely 
open,  the  gas  from  the  coal  passes  freely  into  the  room.     The  art 


SOME  FEATURES  OF  JAPANESE  LIFE.  527 

of  arranging  the  charcoal  so  that  from  a  tiny  spark  a  good  fire 
will  result,  is  one  that  requires  experience  and  skill.  The  colder 
the  day,  the  more  "hibachi"  have  to  be  used,  and  the  more  gas  the 
people  inhale  into  their  lungs.  There  are  forty  million  people  in 
Japan,  and  it  is  practicable  to  say,  that  they  all  use  this  same 
heating  apparatus,  and  still  enjoy  health,  in  spite  of  the  general 
idea  among  foreigners  that  the  charcoal  stoves  are  productive  of 
evil.  Perhaps  the  reason  more  sickness  does  not  result  from  such 
a  thing  is,  that  the  houses  are  open  nearly  all  day,  both  summer 
and  winter,  and  the  abundance  of  fresh  air  overcomes  the  poisons 
in  the  gas.  It  is  quite  an  odd  sight  to  see  six  or  eight  persons 
squatted  on  the  floor,  around  one  of  these  fire-boxes,  holding  their 
hands  over  the  glowing  coals,  yet  never  thinking  of  the  cold  breeze 
blowing  in  on  their  backs.  Not  being  accustomed  to  the  exposure 
to  which  the  people  here  are  used,  we  cannot  endure,  at  this  time 
of  the  year,  the  large  amount  of  fresh  air  allowed  to  come  into 
the  rooms  of  the  natives.  Again,  not  having  grown  up  with  coal 
fumes  surrounding  us  continually,  we  experience  disagreeable 
effects  from  the  gas,  not  noticed  by  those  around  us.  Although, 
at  this  writing,  we  have  become  more  accustomed  to  the  gas,  yet, 
if  confined  to  our  rooms  for  many  hours  at  a  time,  we  suflFer  from 
slight  headaches  as  at  first. 

The  peculiar  feelings  that  we  noticed  coming  over  us,  con- 
tinued to  increase  until  our  eyelids  grew  heavy  and  our  heads 
throbbed  slightly.  The  gas  was  slowly  putting  us  to  sleep.  As 
the  evening  was  nearly  gone,  we  rang  for  beds  in  which  to  rest 
our  weary  bones,  and  dream  of  how  we  used  to  live. 

The  Japanese  bed  is  very  simple,  and  needs  but  litttle  descrip- 
tion. The  floor  is  the  bedstead;  the  grass  mats,  the  spring;  and, 
in  place  of  mattresses,  two  "footons"  (bedding  that  resembles 
ordinary  quilts  only  that  the  "footon"  is  much  thicker)  form  the 
under  structure;  while  a  little  round  sack,  perhaps  a  foot  long 
and  six  inches  thick,  stuffed  with  rice  husks,  and  not  much  softer 
than  a  block  of  wood,  serves  as  a  pillow.  An  addition  of  as  many 
"footons"  as  the  temperature  may  require  for  the  comfort  of  the 
occupant,  completes  the  bed.  The  first  "footon,"  used  as  a  cover- 
ing, is  made  after  the  style  of  a  kimono,  with  sleeves  and  velvet 
collar.     By  wrapping  up  well  in  this,  and  then  drawing  the  top 


528  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

covers  over,  a  person  may  be  "as  snug  as  a  bug  in  a  rug."  Were 
I  to  express  my  feelings  on  this  kind  of  comfort,  I  should  say  that 
I  never  slept  better  in  my  life,  and  I  wish  all  the  unfortunate  poor 
could  rest  in  such  a  warm  and  convenient  bed.  Alongside  the 
bed  of  each  person,  there  is  placed  a  paper  lantern  from  which 
the  dull  light  of  the  flickering  tallow-dip  shines  all  night  long. 
After  invoking  the  blessings  of  Heaven  upon  us  in  our  new  home, 
we  completed  the  lessons  of  the  day  by  getting  into  our  Japanese 
cradles  on  the  floor,  where  sleep  soon  closed  our  eyes  upon  these 
scenes  of  the  first  twelve  hours  of  real  life  in  the  Mikado's  empire. 


A  PARABLE. 

ILLUSTRATING   A    PRINCIPLE — PAY     FOR    EVERY     WORK    DONE    VS. 
LIVING   BY   FAITH. 


At  the  close  of  the  season's  labor  there  cometh  the  servant 
to  demand  his  wages  of  the  master,  and  findeth  him  in  the  market 
place  engaged  upon  business  with  strangers,  but  saith  unto  him, 
"Pay  me  now  that  which  thou  owest,  for  the  time  has  come  this  very 
hour."  Then  said  the  master  unto  him,  "Have  I  not  always  dealt 
generously  with  thee,  and  in  the  days  of  thine  affliction  did  I  not 
succor  thee  with  gifts  from  my  store  house  and  field?  Why  then 
hast  thou  brought  reproach  upon  me  in  a  public  place?  Verily  I 
say  unto  thee,  that  which  thou  hast  before  received  shall  be 
charged  unto  thee,  and  thou  shalt  have  neither  more  nor  less  than 
thou  hasfc  earned!" 

Then  cometh  other  servants  who,  seeing  their  master  from  a- 
far,  saith  one  to  another,  "Behold  our  master  is  upon  business  of 
the  kingdom;  hath  he  not  always  dealt  honorably  with  us?  and  our 
children  are  fed  and  clothed  and  we  lack  not  bread,— let  us  return 
again  to  our  labor,  and  in  his  own  due  time  will  the  master  recom- 
pense  us  according  to  his  word." 

Then  they  departed,  but  that  night  they  sat  at  meat  at  the 
master's  table,  and  when  the  feast  was  ended  each  man  took  with 
him  in  his  hands,  his  wages,  and  wine,  and  oil  and  good  gifts  for 
his  household.  — W.  A.  Hyde. 


POETRY;  IS  IT  OUT  OF  DATE? 

BY  BISHOP  ORSON  F.  WHITNEY,  OF  SALT  LAKE  CITY. 


Is  poetry  out  of  date?  An  interesting  query — answered  in  the 
affirmative  by  the  author  of  the  following  paragraph,  clipped 
from  a  Chicago  paper,  The  Welfare,  some  time  since,  and  sent  by 
a  friend  to  the  present  writer,  with  the  request  that  he  reply  to  it 
through  one  of  the  public  prints: 

POETRY  IS  OUT  OF  DATE. 

BY  PROFESSOR  OSCAR  L.  TRIGGS  OF  CHICAGO. 

There  is  no  great  thought,  no  worthy  emotion,  which  may  not  be 
better  expressed  in  prose  than  in  verse  to-day.  Verse  was  the  primitive 
expression  of  man's  thought.  Rhythm  was  the  characteristic  of  his  first 
crude  literary  efforts.  Homer,  Dante  and  Shakespeare  cast  their  thoughts 
and  emotions  in  verse  because  the  metrical  form  was  the  only  adequate 
method  of  expression  invented  in  their  day.  English  prose  has  been 
developed  to  the  point,  however,  where  it  is  a  finer,  more  subtle  instru- 
ment of  wider  scope  than  English  verse,  and  poetry's  chief  excuse  for 
being  has  been  destroyed.  Y      .  < 

Literary  truth  is  truth  to  nature.  Poetry  is  artificial  and  bears 
the  deadly  brand  of  insincerity  in  its  form.  The  passing  of  the  verse 
form  is  strikingly  shown  by  the  grip  which  Kipling  has  on  the  English 
speaking  world.  His  poetry  is  the  nearest  approximation  to  ideal  prose 
which  I  know,  and  I  think  his  truth  is  the  secret  of  his  grip.  Walt 
Whitman  is  a  great  literary  power  for  the  same  reason.  He  evolved  a 
style  of  verse  which  defied  convention  and  sacrificed  form  to  truth  and 
effect.  I  would  not  decry  the  great  singers  of  the  centuries,  but  the 
poets  of  the  twentieth  century  will  follow  Ruskin,  Newman  and  Pater 
instead  of  Milton,  Wordsworth  or  Keats. 

The  writer  of  the  foregoing,  in  his  use  of  the  term  poetry, 
means,  of  course,  verse,  metrical  composition,  and  not  the  spirit  of 
poesy,  which  inspires  great  thoughts  and  worthy  emotions,  which  in 
turn  clothe  themselves  in  poetic  forms  and  are  called  poetry.  But 
had  he  contended  that  that  spirit  is  out  of  date,  as  well  as  the  verse 
forms  in  which  it  is  generally  clothed,  he  would  have  been  quite  as 


530  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

near  the  truth,  in  my  opinion,  as  he  is  in  the  argument  advanced. 

The  poetic  spirit  and  the  practical  spirit  are  not  necessarily 
foes,  implacable,  irreconcilable;  but  it  is  a  fact,  nevertheless,  that  the 
present  perverted  operations  of  those  spirits,  due  to  the  sordid 
inclinations  of  a  material  age,  and  to  the  imperfect  conceptions 
formed  on  both  sides  of  the  question,  as  to  the  true  mission  and 
purpose  of  such  agencies  in  the  world,  are  essentially  antagonistic 
to  each  other.  Poetry,  art,  and  religion,  are  popularly  supposed  to 
represent  the  ideal  exclusively — something  impractical  and  of  no 
particular  use,  of  secondary  importance  at  best;  while  commerce, 
science,  politics,  and  such  like  factors  and  forces,  represent  the 
practical  or  real.  Being  "of  the  earth  earthy,"  appealing  primarily 
to  the  stomach  and  the  pocket  (and  to  these  alone  in  the  minds 
of  the  shallow)  the  latter  are  more  readily  appreciated,  are 
thought  to  be  more  useful,  and  are  consequently  more  popular  with 
the  masses  and  with  many  of  the  classes  of  mankind.  Commerce 
and  politics  "hold  the  fort;"  they  are  of  to-day;  while  poetry  and 
religion  are  deemed  to  be  of  yesterday.  My  belief,  however,  is 
that  they  are  not  only  of  yesterday,  but  of  to-day  and  forever.  Nor 
would  I  place  politics,  commerce,  or  even  war  outside  the  pale  of 
things  useful  in  bringing  about  the  grand  result  sought  by  the 
great  and  all-wise  Engineer  whose  omnipotent,  overruling  hand 
rests  upon  the  throttle-valve  of  the  universe.  Poets  and  financiers, 
ideologists  and  men  of  affairs,  must  take  God  into  account,  must 
know  something  of  him  and  his  purposes,  before  they  can  fully 
appreciate  their  gifts  or  put  them  to  the  best  and  wisest  use;  and 
the  same  may  be  said  of  those  who  deem  it  their  province  and 
privilege  to  pass  judgment  upon  such  things. 

But  let  us  meet  Professor  Triggs  upon  his  own  ground.  He 
is  a  gentleman  of  learning  and  culture,  a  scholar  and  critic  of 
repute.  His  opinions  are  therefore  entitled  to  respect,  howsoever 
we  may  disagree  with  them.  He  has  lately  shocked  a  large  portion 
of  the  religious  world  by  declaring  that  the  time-honored  hymns  of 
Watts  and  Wesley  are  mere  doggerel  verse,  and  has  made  other 
startling  suggestions  at  war  with  conventional  and  popular  ideas 
and  notions  regarding  poetry.  I  may  remark  in  passing  that  I 
rather  suspect  he  is  more  than  half  way  right  regarding  some  of 
the  hymns  he  criticises  so  severely. 


POETRY;  IS  IT  OUT  OF  DATE?  531 

Hymns  may  be  poems,  however,  even  some  of  the  hymns  of 
Watts  and  Wesley;  and  certainly  those  of  Cowper,  Addison  and 
Montgomery  merit  the  distinction.  The  religious  spirit  they  breathe 
is  not  fatal  to  such  a  claim,  except  in  minds  agnostic  or  ultra- 
unitarian.  The  same  is  true  of  the  hymns  of  the  Latter-day  Saints, 
many  of  which,  while  they  cannot  be  called  high  class  poetry,  have 
served  the  noblest  and  most  useful  purposes.  "I  am  not  highly 
educated,"  said  John  B.  Gough,  the  famous  temperance  orator,  to 
.an  American  scholar — Wendell  Phillips,  I  believe,  "That  is  evident 
from  your  speech,"  was  the  reply;  "but,"  added  the  mental  giant, 
"the  world  is  perhaps  all  the  better  for  that."  Hymns — which  are 
prayers  set  to  song — have  saved  souls,  or  ministered  to  that  end. 
1  doubt  that  Homer's  Iliad  or  Shakespeare's  plays — precious  as 
they  are — have  done  as  much  in  that  direction. 

But  to  the  theme  proper.  The  Professor  asserts  that  there  is 
no  great  thought,  no  worthy  emotion,  which  may  not  be  better 
expressed  in  prose  than  in  verse.  This  I  deny.  I  do  not  believe 
that  prose,  however  perfect,  is  a  better  medium  of  expression  than 
poetry  for  the  higher  thoughts  and  emotions.  On  the  contrary,  I 
am  convinced  that  it  is  the  inadequacy  of  prose  to  express  some 
thoughts  and  emotions,  that  renders  poetry  essential;  and  that  its 
"chief  excuse  for  being"  has  not  been  destroyed  by  the  development 
of  English  prose  to  its  present  state  of  perfection. 

As  well  might  it  be  contended  that  the  manufacture  of  busi- 
ness suits  by  some  merchant  tailor  standing  at  the  head  of  his 
craft,  had  been  perfected  to  that  degree  that  the  full-dress  suit, 
the  army  or  navy  uniform,  the  stage  or  court  costume,  or  the 
sacerdotal  robe,  was  no  longer  essential — was  obsolete  and  out  of 
date,  having  been  superceded  by  the  everyday  apparel  of  the  man 
of  affairs.  This  would  be  democracy — verbal  democracy  with  a 
vengeance — equal  to  the  wholesale  abolition  of  titles  proposed  by 
the  revered  Author  of  the  Declaration. 

Language  is  the  clothing  of  thought,  the  apparel  of  ideas,  and 
different  suits  of  dress  are  no  more  desirable  or  necessary  to  men 
and  women  in  society,  in  kitchen,  parlor,  cabinet,  field  or  work- 
shop, than  are  varied  styles  of  expression  to  their  diversified 
thoughts  and  feelings.  The  chit-chat  of  the  street,  the  talk  of  the 
.shop,  though  it  often  finds  its  way  into  the  drawing-room,  is  just 


532  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

as  often  out  of  place  there,  and  is  certainly  not  equal  to  the  polite 
conversation  that  reigns  there  legitimately;  nor  is  the  conversa- 
tion of  the  drawing-room  usually  equal  to  the  diction  of  the  editorial 
or  magazine  article,  the  erudite  language  of  a  lecture,  or  the  im- 
passioned periods  of  an  oration — though  one  mind,  pen  or  tongue, 
be  the  source  of  all.  The  lover,  the  patriot,  the  religioas  devotee, 
warmed  and  aroused,  is  not  apt  to  express  himself  in  the  same 
moderate  or  lifeless  manner  as  the  blase  frequenter  of  the  too 
frequent  ball  or  opera.  As  thought  and  feeling  become  more 
elevated  or  more  intense,  they  naturally  create  for  themselves 
higher  and  better  forms  of  expression;  and  this  is  just  as  true  of 
poetry  as  it  is  of  conversation  and  oratory.  Poetry  is  condensed 
oratory,  and  the  best  of  oratory  but  diluted  poetry. 

Poetry  is  inherent  in  great  thoughts  and  worthy  emotions. 
It  springs  from  them  as  Minerva  from  the  brow  of  Jove.  The  spirit 
and  gift  of  poesy  are  the  parents  of  such  thoughts  and  emotions. 
Poetry  is  the  culmination  and  climax  of  verbal  expression — the 
ne  plus  ultra  of  eloquence.  There  is  nothing  beyond  it  in  the  way 
of  words.  The  higher  the  thought,  the  deeper  the  emotion,  the 
more  apt  is  it  to  break  forth  into  poetry,  to  burst  forth  into  song- 
There  is  no  loftier  spirit  than  that  which  brooded  over  the  old 
Hebrew  prophets,  tuning  their  sublime  harps  to  the  music  of  the 
spheres  and  sending  their  great  songs  rolling  like  thunder  peals 
down  the  centuries.  Call  it  the  Spirit  of  God,  the  spirit  of  poesy, 
or  what  you  will,  it  is  the  same. 

"All  inmost  things,"  says  Carlyle,  "are  melodious;  naturally 
utter  themselves  in  song."  "See  deep  enough,  and  you  see  musi- 
cally ;  the  heart  of  nature  being  everywhere  music,  if  you  can  only 
reach  it."  Poetry  he  calls  "musical  thought."  One  is  a  poet,  he 
says,  who  reads  a  poem  well,  who  enters  into  the  spirit  of  it  as 
zealously  as  did  the  author  while  composing  it;  who  thrills  or  shud- 
ders at  the  portrayal,  or  the  sentiment,  as  did  the  poet  when  the 
inspiration  seized  him.  I  may  add  that  one  who  cannot  do  this, 
who  cannot  feel  the  divine  afflatus,  "the  man  that  hath  no  music  in 
his  soul,"  whatever  his  ability  otherwise,  is  an  incompetent  critic 
of  poetry.  We  all  know  the  fate  of  poetry  when  mere  grammar- 
ians get  to  work  upon  it.     Not  every  smart  literary  critic  can. 


POETRY;  IS  IT  OUT  OF  DATE?  533 

""mend  with  rapture  what  with  fire  was  penned."  Hardly  less  than 
the  poet,  is  the  judge  of  poetry — "born,  not  made." 

But  the  Professor  would  probably  say  that  Carlyle,  in  the 
lines  quoted,  is  not  referring  exclusively  to  verse,  but  to  poetic 
thought  and  possibly  to  poetic  prose.  Granted;  but  neither  does 
he  bar  out  verse,  and  contend,  as  the  Professor  does,  that  prose 
alone  will  answer  every  requirement  in  the  premises.  Moreover, 
my  quotations  are  from  Carlyle's  lecture  on  "The  Hero  as  Poet," 
and  it  is  metrical,  rhythmical  language,  the  music  of  words  as 
well  as  of  thoughts,  that  the  great  man  is  considering. 

While  it  is  true  that  primitive  man,  unsophisticated,  uncom- 
mercialized,  in  close  touch  with  nature  and  the  infinite,  is  poetic,  it  is 
equally  true  that  the  highest  poetry  is  the  product  of  culture  and 
refinement,  acting  directly  or  indirectly  upon  and  through  the  poet. 
Whatever  his  natural  gifts,  his  inspiration,  he  must  still  have  a  pen, 
a  vocabulary,  and  the  skill  and  taste  to  use  them.  Professor  Triggs 
would  hardly  contend  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  Stone  Age,  though 
they  had  their  rhythmic  chants  and  dances,  conversed  in  tropes, 
ballads  and  sonnets  habitually.  "Purple  and  fine  linen"  were  not 
the  original  materials  of  man's  wearing  apparel.  Adam's  "coat  of 
skins"  came  before  Joseph's  "coat  of  many  colors."  The  American 
Indian  is  innately  poetic,  is  naturally  eloquent,  as  is  the  aborigine 
of  other  lands;  but  these  qualities  differ  in  degree,  according  to 
the  origin,  descent  and  environment  of  these  primitive  peoples. 
The  American  Indian  was  not  originally  a  barbarian.  He  is  the 
legitimate  though  degenerate  product  of  ages  of  civilization.  In 
his  veins,  according  to  our  "Mormon"  view,  runs  the  blood  of  the 
Hebrew  prophets,  the  greatest  poets  of  antiquity.  But  no  untutored 
Indian  could  have  written  the  Book  of  Job,  the  Psalms  of  David,  or 
the  prophecies  of  Isaiah.  The  authors  of  those  sublime  poems 
were  not  primitive  men — savages  and  barbarians.  Neither  were 
Homer,  Shakespeare  and  Dante.  Of  course,  the  Professor  does  not 
mean  to  imply  that  they  were — does  not  mean  to  say  that  such 
poetry  as  theirs  is  crude  and  primitive.  He  "would  not  decry  the 
great  singers  of  the  centuries."  But  he  does  say,  in  effect,  that 
poetry  as  a  whole  is  inferior,  when  compared  with  prose  in  its 
present  perfected  state. 

This  is  where  I  take  issue  with  him.     I  do  not  regard  the  prose 


534  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

form  as  superior  to  the  poetic.  I  do  not  think  Homer,  Shakespeare 
and  Dante  would  read  better  if  rendered  into  modern  English  by 
Ruskin,  Pater  or  Newman,  or  by  any  prose  writer  of  equal  genius 
with  themselves.  I  cannot  believe  that  our  heaven-inspired,  soul- 
stirring  hymns  and  anthems  rest  upon  a  false  basis.  I  cannot 
believe  that  the  mission  of  poetry  is  at  an  end.  I  cannot  believe 
that  all  the  songs  and  ballads  of  the  future  will  be  written  in  prose. 
To  me,  there  is  still  force  in  Fletcher's  wise  saying,  "Let  me  write 
the  ballads  of  a  people,  and  I  care  not  who  makes  their  laws." 

While  I  am  not  a  stickler  for  any  particular  form  of  verse, 
and  believe  that  much  that  is  old  will  pass,  is  passing,  and  has 
passed,  I  cannot  concede  that  all  that  is  old  is  unworthy  of  preserva- 
tion or  present  use,  and  that  the  experience,  arts  and  methods  of 
the  world's  song-makers  and  versifiers  count  for  nothing  in  the 
presence  of  Ruskin,  Pater  and  Newman's  "ideal  prose."  It  is  just 
as  wise  now  as  it  was  in  Paul's  day  to  "prove  all  things  and  hold 
fast  that  which  is  good."  At  the  same  time,  I  do  not  contend  that 
the  old  verse  forms  should  prevail  to  the  utter  exclusion  of  the  new. 

I  find  no  fault  with  that  part  of  the  Professor's  argument 
which  maintains  that  literary  truth  is  truth  to  nature,  and  that 
artificiality  and  insincerity  in  poetry  are  passing.  Let  them  pass; 
the  sooner  the  better.  "Ring  out  the  false,  ring  in  the  true."  But 
that  all  poetry  is  false,  and  only  prose  true,  I  cannot  agree.  To 
prove  the  opposite,  let  us  take  his  favorite  Kipling — not  a  great 
poet,  but  certainly  a  strong  and  brilliant  one,  whose  verse  is  "the 
nearest  approximation  to  ideal  prose"  that  the  Professor  knows  of, 
and  whose  "truth,"  he  thinks,  "is  the  secret  of  his  grip."  The 
highest  point  yet  touched  by  Kipling  is  in  his  beautiful  ode,  the 
"Recessional:" 

God  of  our  fathers,  known  of  old — 

Lord  of  our  far-flung  battle  line — 
Beneath  whose  awful  hand  we  hold 

Dominion  over  palm  and  pine — 
Lord  God  of  Hosts,  be  with  us  yet. 

Lest  we  forget — lest  we  forget! 

The  tumult  and  the  shouting  dies — 

The  Captains  and  the  Kings  depart — 

Still  stands  Thine  ancient  sacrifice, 
An  humble  and  a  contrite  heart. 


POETRY;  IS  IT  OUT  OF  DATE?  535 

Lord  God  of  Hosts,  be  with  us  yet, 


Lest  we  forget — lest  we  forget 


Far-called,  our  navies  melt  away — 

On  dune  and  headland  sinks  the  fire — 

Lo,  all  our  pomp  of  yesterday 

Is  one  with  Nineveh  and  Tyre! 

Judge  of  the  Nations,  spare  us  yet, 
Lest  we  forget — lest  we  forget! 

If,  drunk  with  sight  of  power,  we  loose 

Wild  tongues  that  have  not  Thee  in  awe — 

Such  boastings  as  the  Gentiles  use, 

Or  lesser  breeds  without  the  law — 

Lord  God  of  Hosts,  be  with  us  yet. 
Lest  we  forget — lest  we  forget! 

For  heathen  heart  that  puts  her  trust 

In  reeking  tube  and  iron  shard — 
All  valiant  dust  that  builds  on  dust. 

And  guarding,  calls  not  Thee  to  guard; 
For  frantic  boast  and  foolish  word, 

Thy  Mercy  on  thy  people.  Lord! 
Amen. 

Does  anyone  believe  that  those  inspired  and  inspiring  stanzas, 
so  clean  cut  and  precise,  so  perfect  in  rhythm  and  rhyme,  would 
sound  better,  be  more  impressive,  or  convey  a  clearer  meaning,  if 
recast  and  rendered  into  prose?  Great  and  worthy  as  are  the 
thoughts  in  themselves,  is  it  not  evident  that  they  owe  much  of 
their  power  and  effect  to  their  expression  in  verse  form?  I  care 
not  how  near  Kipling  shall  approximate  to  "ideal  prose,"  if  he 
always  gives  us  such  poetry  as  that.  English  verse  is  in  little 
danger  of  passing  so  long  as  it  presents  itself  in  such  pleasing 
form.  The  "Recessional"  is  worth  many  times  all  the  "Barrack 
Room  Ballads,"  all  the  "Rimed  Gossip"  and  "Rimed  Fighting"  that 
Kipling  has  produced;  nor  have  I  seen  anything  of  his  in  prose  that 
can  compare  with  it. 

And  yet  his  verse  forms  are  neither  new  nor  original.  "In- 
deed," says  Walter  Rice,  "hardly  one  of  his  meters  has  an  ascer- 
tained origin,  but  hearkens  back  to  the  days  before  written  history 
or  unchanted  poetry.  It  requires  no  education  of  the  ear  to  detect 
the  stress  in  such  songs  as  these;  savages  have  been  found  without 
a  belief  in  God,  but  none  without  knowing  how  to  chant  and  dance, 
if  only  to  the  noise  of  sticks  knocked  together;  our  very  hearts 


536  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

keep  such  time.  Universal  acceptance  of  such  work  was,  there- 
fore, fairly  inevitable." 

This,  while  it  sustains  Professor  Triggs  in  his  affirmation  as  to 
the  antiquity  of  verse  and  rhythm,  is  flatly  contradictory  of  his 
assertion  that  poetry  is  out  of  date  and  passing,  or  in  any  danger 
of  passing.  It  is  one  with  the  view  of  the  present  writer,  that 
there  is  a  virile  virtue  in  verse  that  will  perpetuate  it.  Before 
poetry  can  pass,  the  human  heart  must  change— must  lose  its 
innate  love  of  rhythm  and  cadence — the  human  heart,  that  pedestal 
of  Homer's  fame,  that  immovable  basis  of  Shakespeare's  overmas- 
tering triumph.  "Our  very  hearts",  beat  time,  and  rhythmical 
language  is  not  necessarily  artificial  and  insincere.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  is  the  true  and  appropriate  form  of  expression  for  great 
thoughts  and  worthy  emotions. 

Mr.  Rice  continues  as  to  Kipling:  "He  has  emboldened  the 
hearts  of  the  singers  of  the  day,  even  while  he  teaches  a  thought- 
less and  regardless  world  that  poetry  paves  the  one  royal  highway 
to  the  heart  of  man.  For  a  generation  the  poet  and  the  people 
have  been  growing  far  and  farther  apart.  In  Mr.  Kipling  they 
become  united  once  more.  He  not  only  shows  that  they  can  be 
one,  but  he  makes  them  one.  This  amounts  to  the  discovery  of  a 
lost  art.  We  learn  that  poetry  can  still  make  a  universal  appeal." 
In  what  way,  then,  does  Kipling's  grip  "on  the  English-speaking 
world"  prove  that  poetry— true  poetry — is  passing?  It  certainly 
will  not  pass  as  long  as  that  "grip"  continues  to  "hold  its  own." 
The  secret  of  the  success  of  Kipling's  masterpiece,  "The  Reces- 
sional," is  indeed  its  "truth" — truth  of  form  as  well  as  of  sentiment 
and  spirit.  To  teach  and  defend  truth  is  the  proper  mission  of 
poesy. 

As  to  Walt  Whitman  (a  truly  great  poet  and  masterly  artist 
in  the  main)  who  "evolved  a  style  of  verse  which  defied  convention 
and  sacrificed  form  to  truth  and  efl^ect," — is  it  not  a  fact  that 
wherever  he  most  shocks  the  reader,  it  is  due  to  this  very  sacrifice 
of  poetic  form:  a  sacrifice  not  necessary  to  truth,  except  in  its 
rudest  phases,  and  not  conducive  to  effect,  save  of  a  disagreeable 
kind?  Whitman's  crudities  and  commonplaces,  his  prosaic  and 
almost  slang  utterances,  are  what  mar  his  work  and  prevent  much 
of  it  from  being  poetry.     Such  lines  as,  "I  tucked  my  trousers  in 


POETRY;  IS  IT  OUT  OF  DATE?  537 

my  boot-tops  and  went  and  had  a  good  time,"  might  pass  in  one  of 
Bret  Harte's  or  Will  Carleton's  eccentric  ballads,  but  would  hardly 
be  tolerated  by  Whitman's  greatest  admirers  in  a  serious  poet  of 
less  genius  and  repute.  It  is  prose,  pure  and  simple — whether 
ideal  or  commonplace,  I  leave  the  reader  to  determine. 

Whitman's  other  improprieties — defended  on  the  ground  that 
nature  is  equally  immodest,  equally  "regardless  of  observation" — 
are  probably  among  the  things  that  caused  Carlyle  to  say  what  he 
did  in  praise  of  "the  benignant  efficacies  of  concealment"  (Sartor 
Resartus — Chapter  III — Symbols).  It  may  sometimes  be  necessary 
to  "call  a  spade  a  spade;"  but  not  always — especially  in  a  day  of 
synonyms,  that  express  truth  quite  as  well.  Shakespeare's  vul- 
garity may  be  palliated  on  the  ground  of  a  limited  vocabulary  and 
a,  less  refined  age  than  the  present;  but  it  cannot  be  maintained 
that  it  is  his  vulgarity  which  makes  him  great.  He  is  simply  great 
in  spite  of  it,  as  is  Whitman  in  spite  of  his.  True,  much  of  Shake- 
peare's  vulgarity  is  that  of  the  vulgar  characters  he  portrays;  and 
the  same  may  be  said  of  Whitman  who,  while  ostensibly  painting 
his  own  portrait,  is  in  reality  showing  forth  the  composite  man,  the 
average  American,  democracy  personified,  with  all  its  virtues  and 
vices.  His  aim  is  to  exalt  the  body,  as  suggestive  and  inclusive  of 
the  soul;  to  prove  that  all  parts  and  processes  of  the  human  system 
and  of  nature  in  general,  are  equally  honorable;  and  that  the  evil 
and  imperfect,  no  less  than  the  good  and  perfect,  are  necessary. 

It  may  be  proper  to  call  such  work  a  portrait,  a  picture,  a 
presentation  of  things  ideal  and  commonplace,  (though  great  artists, 
as  a  rule,  secure  their  ideal  effects  by  sacrificing  the  commonplace) ; 
but  is  it  right  to  call  those  parts  poetry  which  disregard  and  defy 
all  known  poetic  standards — which  are  not  only  violative  of  poetic 
form,  but  of  the  very  spirit  of  poesy?  While  the  world,  at  present, 
is  rude  and  elemental  in  many  of  its  phases,  it  is  not  necessary 
that  we  should*  gloat  upon  its  crudities.  To  properly  clothe  the 
body  is  not  to  be  ashamed  of  it  or  to  deny  the  decency  of  its  func- 
tions. Why — to  paraphrase  Carlyle — why  not  be  satisfied  with 
the  beauty  and  fragrance  of  the  flower,  without  grubbing  it  up  from 
the  ground  and  exposing  to  public  gaze  the  refuse  clinging  to  its 
roots?  To  present  the  world  just  as  it  is,  is  to  present  imperfection. 
But  the  imperfect  part  is  to  be  done  away,  and  the  perfect  whole  is 


538  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

to  come.  Whitman  himself  believed  in  "spiritual  results"  as  the 
outcome  of  all.  He  was  but  a  step  from  that  sublime  concept  of 
Joseph  Smith's,  that  a  heaven  is  to  grow  out  of  this  earth,  and  that 
man  is  destined  to  develop  into  a  God.  He  also  believed  in  a  way 
concerning  the  glory  to  be  revealed,  before  which  mountains  shall 
be  leveled,  valleys  raised,  the  crooked  made  straight  and  the  rough 
places  plain.  The  question  resolves  itself  into  this:  How  can  that 
end  best  be  reached — by  returning  to  the  state  of  naked,  innocent 
ignorance  from  which  Adam  fell  in  order  to  learn,  or  by  retaining 
our  present  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  the  progressive  result  of 
the  fall,  and  utilizing  the  fig  leaves  of  decorum  and  propriety  as  a 
factor  in  our  further  advancement  toward  perfection? 

In  spite  of  Whitman's  blemishes,  however,  I  agree  with  his 
friend  and  admirer.  Burroughs,  when  he  says,  "I  never  open  his 
book  without  being  struck  afresh  with  its  pictural  qualities,  its 
grasp  of  the  concrete,  its  vivid  realism,  its  intimate  sense  of  things, 
persons,  truths,  qualities,  such  as  only  the  greatest  artists  can  give 
us,  and  such  as  we  can  never  get  in  mere  prose." 

If  this  article  were  not  already  too  long,  I  would  give  an  illus- 
tration in  parallel  columns  of  the  difference  between  the  poetic 
style  as  exemplified  by  Milton,  Wordsworth  and  Keats,  and  the 
prose  style  of  which  Ruskin,  Newman  and  Pater  are  leading  expo- 
nents. But  the  reader  can  himself  make  the  comparison.  While 
I  admire  all  these  masters  of  English,  I  have  no  fear  that  "the 
poets  of  the  twentieth  century"  will  discard  the  former  and  follow 
only  the  latter  as  literary  models.  Possibly  something  greater 
than  either  style  will  yet  appear;  if  so,  I  venture  the  prophecy  that 
it  will  be  poetry  before  prose. 

With  all  my  heart,  let  pass  the  false,  the  artificial,  the  insin- 
cere. They  must  pass.  No  lie  can  live;  it  is  the  truth  in  things 
that  causes  them  to  survive;  and  truth  survives  for  the  very  reason 
that  it  is  as  old  as  eternity.  What  had  no  beginning  can  have  no 
end.  But  the  passing  of  the  untrue  does  not  involve  the  wholesale 
abolishment  of  poetry.  Poetry,  like  religion,  like  music,  like  art,  has 
a  mission.  Let  it  be  true  to  that  mission,  and  there  will  be  a  change 
of  sentiment  in  its  favor.  The  hearts  of  the  prodigals  now  feeding 
on  husks  will  return  to  it.  True  poetry  cannot  pass.  So  long  as 
the  mind  has  exalted  thoughts  and  the  heart  has  profound  emo- 
tions, so  long  will  there  be  a  corresponding  and  fitting  medium  of 


POETRY;  IS  IT  OUT  OF  DATE?  539 

expression.  Only  in  the  absence  of  these,  can  poetry  become  obso- 
lete and  prose  be  enthroned  in  its  stead. 

The  distaste  for  poetry,  like  the  distaste  for  religion,  is  one  of 
the  signs  of  the  times.  Both  are  neglected  for  the  same  reasons, 
only  one  of  which  is  the  false  and  dead  forms  in  which  they  are 
sopaetimes  clothed.  The  fault  is  not  with  the  things  themselves, 
but  with  the  hackneyed,  worn-out  and  ofttimes  incompetent  man- 
ner of  their  presentation.  A  stereotyped  stupidity  of  routine 
renders  most  things  lifeless  and  insipid;  though  some  routine  is  of 
course  necessary.  Poetry  and  religion  are  mainly  unpopular  be- 
cause of  the  mighty  wave  of  materialism  that  is  sweeping  over  the 
world.  They  have  nothing  in  common  with  the  sordid  and  the 
sensual,  though  they  take  account  of  and  utilize  to  their  true  end 
and  purpose  temporal  things.  "Among  them  but  not  of  them"  is 
the  position  of  this  divine  twain  in  the  midst  of  money-worship, 
political  chicanery,  and  the  innumerable  tom-fooleries  of  society. 
Their  mission  is  to  correct  such  evils,  to  lift  the  banner  of  the 
ideal  above  the  real,  and  lead  the  human  mind  and  life  up  to  loftier 
levels. 

The  spirit  of  poesy  is  akin  to  the  spirit  of  religion,  and  in  its 
highest  sense  it  is  the  spirit  of  religion,  the  key  to  the  universe, 
the  clew  to  the  solution  of  that  beautiful  and  mysterious  symbolism 
everywhere  pervading  God's  handiwork,  and  placed  there  no  doubt 
that  the  minds  of  his  children,  by  means  of  the  poetic  faculty  pos- 
sessed in  some  degree  by  all,  might  be  led  step  by  step  "from 
wisdom  on  to  higher  wisdom;"  the  less  ever  pointing  out  the  greater, 
the  type  suggesting  the  fulfillment,  the  promise  merging  into  the 
performance,  until  eventually  we  attain  perfection. 

The  spirit  of  poesy  is  eternal.  Like  the  spirit  of  man,  it  does 
not  die  when  the  body  perishes;  like  the  human  form,  it  does  not 
change  with  the  coming  and  going  of  the  fashions.  It  is  essen- 
tially creative;  the  meaning  of  poesy  is  "to  make."  It  will  create 
for  itself  in  the  future,  as  it  has  in  the  past,  new  and  ever  varying 
forms  of  expression,  in  which,  however,  as  in  the  bodies  of  men, 
and  in  the  costumes  worn  by  them  from  age  to  age,  there  will 
always  be  found  similarities  and  resemblances.  Poetic  forms,  when 
true  and  genuine,  when  the  ring  of  inspiration  accompanies  them, 
proclaim  their  divine  origin  more  surely  and  more  strikingly  than 
"the  apparel  proclaims  the  man." 


RESULTS  OF  OBEDIENCE, 

BY  APOSTLE  HEBER  J.  GRANT,  PRESIDENT   OF  THE  MISSION  IN  JAPAN. 


"To  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken,  than  the  fat  of 
rams." 

As  an  illustration  of  the  benefits  of  following  counsel,  I  take 
pleasure  in  relating  to  the  readers  of  the  Era  an  incident  from  the 
missionary  experiences  of  President  Jesse N.  Smith  of  the  Snowflake 
stake,  which  he  related  to  me  eighteen  years  ago.  It  is  in  sub- 
stance as  follows: 

The  custom  prevailed  in  the  Scandinavian  countries  of  be- 
trothing children.  A  case  happened  at  the  time  that  President 
Jesse  N.  Smith  was  laboring  in  the  Scandinavian  mission  as  its 
president,  in  which  a  young  lady,  who  had  been  betrothed  in  her 
childhood,  and  who  subsequently  married  the  man  to  whom  she 
was  betrothed,  and  who  embraced  the  gospel  long  before  being 
married,  desired  that  President  Smith  should  assist  her  in  coming 
to  Utah;  that  is,  that  she  should  be  permitted  to  leave  her  husband 
and  travel  with  her  child  in  company  with  the  Saints  to  Liverpool, 
and  embark  upon  the  vessel  carrying  the  Saints  to  New  York. 
Brother  Smith  positively  refused  to  allow  anything  of  the  kind, 
stating  that  as  her  husband  was  not  a  member  of  the  Church,  if 
she  were  to  leave  without  his  consent,  it  would  incur  his  enmity, 
and  that  he  would  become  a  bitter  persecutor  of  the  Saints.  The 
good  sister  pleaded  that  it  was  necessary  to  forsake  husband  or, 
wif e,f ather  or  mother  and  all  for  the  gospel's  sake,  but  Brother  Smith 
still  refused  to  aid  her  in  "running  away"  from  her  husband.  At 
the  time  the  marriage  took  place,    the  husband  was  friendly  to- 


RESULTS  OF  OBEDIENCE.  541 

wards  the  "Mormons,"  so  their  married  life  was  pleasant,  but  after 
some  years,  he  became  prejudiced  against  them,  and  denied  her 
the  privilege  of  attending  meetings  with  those  of  her  faith,  where- 
upon she  felt  justified  in  leaving  him.  Brother  Smith  volunteered 
to  go  and  speak  with  the  husband,  and  try  and  persuade  him  to 
permit  his  wife  and  child  to  emigrate  to  Utah.  The  sister  ob- 
jected, saying  she  felt  confident  her  husband  would  only  insult  him, 
should  he  make  any  such  request.  President  Smith,  however 
thought  otherwise,  and  sent  Elder  Halvorsen,  then  president  of  the 
Copenhagen  conference,  to  her  husband,  who  fully  explained  to 
him  that  it  was  no  part  of  the  business  of  our  missionaries  to  dis- 
rupt homes.  He  further  explained  that  his  wife's  heart  was  set 
on  moving  to  Utah;  that  with  her  religious  convictions  she  could 
never  be  contented  under  existing  circumstances;  and  that  he  did 
not  believe  there  could  be  any  happiness  in  the  household  under 
these  circumstances. 

After  learning  that  our  missionaries  were  always  instructed 
never  to  baptize  a  woman  without  the  consent  of  the  husband,  or 
children  without  the  consent  of  parents,and  that  the  president  of  the 
Scandinavian  mission  would  not  be  a'party  to  aid  his  wife  to  emigrate 
to  Utah,unknown  to  him,the  husband  gave  his  consent  for  her  to  go. 
He  was  captain  of  a  ship,  engaged  in  the  merchant  marine,  and 
the  only  request  that  he  made  was  that  his  wife  and  child  should 
not  leave  until  he  should  be  absent  with  his  vessel.  He  said  he 
could  not  endure  to  be  present  and  see  them  go. 

It  certainly  is  very  plain  to  every  one  that  this  man's  heart 
would  have  been  full  of  enmity  for  the  Latter-day  Saints,  and  that 
he  would  have  become  a  bitter  persecutor  of  the  people  had  Pres- 
ident Smith  consented  to  his  wife's  running  away  from  him. 

Some  few  people  allow  their  zeal  to  run  away  with  their  judg- 
ment; but  if  missionaries  will  hearken  to  and  obey  the  instructions  of 
the  servants  of  the  Lord,  never  to  baptize  women  or  children  or  ad- 
vise them  to  emigrate  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  husbands  and  par- 
ents, the  final  result  will  be  for  the  best  good  of  their  converts, 
as  the  final  results  of  obedience  in  all  cases  are  grand  and  glori- 
ous, ana  the  result  in  this  case,  certainly  was  gratifying,  and  no 
exception  to  the  rule. 

The  husband,  while  out  on  the  broad  sea,  in  looking  through 


542  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

his  trunk,  discovered  a  Book  of  Mormon.  His  heart  was  full  of 
enmity  when  he  discovered  this  book,  and  he  had  an  intense  ha- 
tred for  it,  believing  that  its  contents  had  been  instrumental  in 
robbing  him  of  wife  and  child,  the  dearest  of  all  earthly  posses- 
sions to  the  heart  of  a  true  man.  His  natural  impulse  was  to 
destroy  the  book,  but  upon  reflection,  he  was  aware  of  the  fact 
that  it  had  been  packed  in  his  trunk  because  of  the  love  of  a  de- 
voted wife.  He,  therefore,  concluded  to  read  it.  After  reading 
it  once,  he  became  interested,  and  read  it  again  and  again,  with  the 
result  that  he  became  convinced  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  to 
him,  as  is  the  case  with  all  honest  seekers  after  truth,  that  it  was 
in  very  deed  what  it  purported  to  be,  namely:  the  history  of 
the  dealings  of  the  Lord  with  the  ancient  people  of  America.  He 
believed  the  inspired  words  of  the  prophets  therein  recorded,  and 
immediately  upon  his  return  home,  resigned  his  position,  embraced 
the  gospel,  emigrated  to  Utah,  and  has  since  been  sealed  to  his 
wife  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Priesthood.  His  heart  was  full  of 
joy  and  thanksgiving  to  God,  and  gratitude  to  President  Smith;  and 
shortly  after  his  arrival  in  Utah,  he  assured  President  Smith  that 
he  looked  upon  him  as  having  been  a  savior  to  him  and  his  family. 

Had  President  Smith  lacked  the  wisdom  to  carry  out  the  in- 
structions given  to  all  of  our  missionaries,  and  been  over-anxious 
to  aid  in  sending  a  convert  to  Utah,  in  opposition  to  the  wishes 
of  her  husband,  the  husband  would  undoubtedly  have  been  an 
enemy  of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  looking  upon  them  as  having 
robbed  him  of  wife  and  child.  Being  an  influential  man  his  influ- 
ence against  the  Latter-day  Saints  would  have  been  quite  potent, 
no  doubt,  and  there  is  no  telling  to  what  extent  that  injury  might 
have  gone. 

Truly  this  incident  verifies  the  saying  'of  the  prophet,  that 
"To  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken,  than  the  fat  of 
rams." 


WHAT  ADDRESS  WILL  IT  BE? 

BY  ELDER  J.   H.   WARD. 


A  group  of  telegraph  messenger  boys,  dressed  in  their  neat 
uniforms,  were  standing,  one  morning  lately,  in  the  corridor  of 
the  telegraph  office,  ready  for  service,  and  engaged  in  conversa- 
tion in  an  undertone,  with  each  other,  as  they  were  not  permitted 
to  speak  loudly  or  act  boisterously  in  the  building.  Just  then  the 
telegraph  manager  stepped  into  the  corridor  and  called  in  a  firm 
voice,  "Number  eight,  this  way!"  The  boy  whose  cap  bore  that  num- 
ber obeyed  the  summons  cheerfully,  and  with  a  rerpectful  bow 
took  the  telegraphic  dispatch  in  hand,  as  the  manager  said,  "Peter 
Lick,  you  will  have  need  to  use  your  eyes  and  best  judgment  to  find 
the  residence  of  the  man  to  whom  this  telegram  is  sent."  The  busi- 
ness of  a  messenger  boy  is  not  always  pleasant;  and  this  time  the 
message  was  to  be  delivered  in  one  of  the  least  pleasing  parts  of 
the  city.  Even  when  the  required  street  was  reached,  it  was  no 
easy  task  to  find  the  residences  of  some  of  the  inhabitants. 
Poor  Peter,  he  was  obliged  to  wander  through  dark  alleys  into 
underground  cellars  and  up  rickety  stairways,  still  enquiring,  but 
without  success,  for  the  name  of  the  person  to  whom  the  dispatch 
was  sent. 

At  length,  he  rapped  at  the  door  of  an  old  dwelling  in  the 
rear  of  a  business  house,  and  a  feeble  voice  answered  from  within, 
"Who  is  there?"  The  boy  replied,  "I  have  a  telegraphic  dispatch 
for  John  Ridman;  can  you  tell  me  where  he  lives?"  The  door  was 
opened  by  a  feeble  old  woman,  and  she  called  a  young  woman  in  a 
neighboring  room.  After  talking  together  a  few  moments,  they 
replied,  "There  was  a  man  named  John  Ridman  who  lived  just 
across  the  alley;  he  died  about  a  year  ago."    So  the  boy  wrote  on 


544  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

the  envelope,   "Person  addressed  died  about  a  year  ago;  left  no 
address." 

Peter  Lick  quickly  returned  to  the  telegraph  office,  and 
handed  the  manager  the  envelope  on  which  these  words  had  been 
written.  The  manager's  kind  and  expressive  eyes  met  those  of 
the  boy,  as  he  replied,  "So  the  man  has  died,  and  has  left  no 
means  by  which  we  may  find  his  address."  These  words  were 
plain  and  simple  enough,  but  the  penetrating  glance  of  his  eyes 
set  the  boy  thinking  as  he  had  never  thought  before  on  the  sub- 
ject. The  next  day  the  manager  again  spoke  to  him  and  said: 
"Peter,  when  we  die,  do  you  think  we  shall  be  able  to  leave  any 
token  behind  us  as  to  what  our  future  address  will  be?"  The  boy 
at  first  did  not  understand  him.  "What!"  thought  Peter,  "Is  the 
next  state  of  existence  so  nearly  like  this  that  we  will  have 
different  addresses?  Will  there  be  different  streets  in  the 
heavenly  city?  and  different  numbers  on  the  dwellings?  Will 
some  parts  of  the  city  be  more  beautiful  than  others?  Will  some 
dwellings  be  only  mediocre  while  others  will  be  grand  and  beauti- 
ful? Will  the  dwellings  there  correspond  to  the  character  of  the 
inmates?"  These  thoughts  passed  many  times  through  the  mind 
of  Peter  during  the  week.  On  the  next  Sunday,  while  in  the 
Sunday  school,  he  read  a  portion  of  the  Gospel  according  to  St. 
John.  He  came  at  length  to  these  words,  which  St.  John  records 
as  spoken  by  the  Savior,  "In  my  Father's  house  are  many  man- 
sions; I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you."    On  the  next  Monday, 

when  Peter  met  the  manager,  he  said  to  him,  "Mr. ,  I  think  I 

understand  your  question  now." 


SOME  LEADING  EVENTS  IN  THE  CURRENT 
STORY  OF  THE  WORLD. 

BY  DR.  J,  M.  TANNER,   SUPERINTENDENT  OF  CHURCH  SCHOOLS. 


Cecil  Rhodes. 

The  recent  death  of  Cecil  Rhodes  in  South  Africa  removes  one  of 
the  most  picturesque  figures  of  the  British  Empire.  Rhodes  was  the  son 
of  an  English  clergyman,  and  was  forty-nine  years  old,  at  his  death. 
When  a  boy,  at  Oxford,  he  broke  down  in  health  and  went  to  South 
Africa  whose  genial  climate  restored  him  to  a  certain  measure  of  robust- 
ness. '  His  ambition  to  obtain  an  education  carried  him  back  again  dur- 
ing the  warmer  months  to  Oxford;  and,  little  by  little,  he  completed  his 
work  which  entitled  him  to  a  degree  from  that  celebrated  university. 

Rhodes  was  quick  to  perceive  the  great  future  possibilities  of  his 
new  home,  and  he  soon  began  his  enterprises  at  Kimberley,  where,  in 
those  wonderful  diamond  mines,  he  was  able  to  amass  a  large  fortune. 
He  was  a  man  of  comprehensive  view  and  statesmanlike  qualities,  and 
soon  became  an  important  factor  in  the  political  life  of  South  Africa. 
Early  in  life,  he  conceived  the  idea  that  Africa,  or  at  any  rate  its  most 
valuable  sections,  should  become  a  part  of  the  vast  British  Empire.  Just 
north  of  the  country  in  which  the  Boers  lived,  there  was  a  vast  strip  of 
land,  an  empire  in  itself,  known  as  Mashonaland  and  Matabeleland.  In 
order  to  secure  control  of  that  vast  country,  he  obtained  from  England 
a  charter  for  what  is  known  as  the  British  South  African  Company,  and 
here  he  began  his  great  scheme  of  colonization.  Between  his  empire  on 
the  north,  which  came  to  be  known  as  Rhodesia,  and  Cape  Colony  on  the 
south,  there  were  two  independent  republics;  one,  the  Orange  Free  State, 
and  the  other,  the  Transvaal,  both  under  the  control  of  the  Dutch  Boers. 
He  conceived  and  encouraged  the  idea  that  the  whole  country,  from  the 
Cape  in  the  south  to  Rhodesia  in  the  north,  should  be  united  into  one 
great  province.  The  occupation  by  the  Boers  of  the  two  small  republics 
offered  difficulties  in  the  way  of  his  great  schemes  to  colonize  and  devel- 
op South  Africa.  However,  he  began. a  policy  of  reconciliation  with  the 
Boers  of  South  Africa,  and  in  time  became  Prime  Minister  of  Cape  Colony, 


546  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

a  position  which  he  could  occupy  through  Boer  favor  only.  As  long  as  the 
Dutch  of  these  two  republics  were  isolated,  their  position  was  not  so  ob- 
jectionable, but  after  the  opening  of  the  great  Johannesburg  or  Rand 
mines,  the  Dutch  government  was  a  constant  hindrance  and  annoyance, 
and  sometimes  an  exasperation  to  men  of  Mr.  Rhodes'  ambition  and  com- 
mercial activity.  His  efforts  to  crowd  the  Dutch,  and  his  insistence  upon 
certain  concessions  upon  their  part,  made  him  very  unpopular  with  the 
two  republics.  He  had  placed  Dr.  Jameson  in  charge  of  the  police  forces  of 
Rhodesia,  where  Dr.  Jameson  had  under  his  command  something  like  five 
hundred  men.  It  was  in  1896  when  Jameson  was  in  charge  of  the  con- 
stabulary, organized  chiefly  through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr.  Rhodes, 
that  the  idea  was  conceived  of  upsetting  the  Transvaal  government,  and 
plans  were  laid  to  make  a  raid  on  the  Transvaal  and  uniting  with  the 
citizens  of  Johannesburg  to  overthrow  the  Dutch  republic.  The  under- 
taking resulted  in  a  rash  failure,  and  instead  of  upsetting  the  Transvaal 
government,  Jameson,  in  the  words  of  Mr.  Rhodes  himself,  upset  the 
latter's  apple-cart.  This  was  an  international  offense  which  the  Eng- 
glish  government  condoned  as  best  it  possibly  could,  because  Mr.  Jame- 
son and  Mr.  Rhodes  were  both  playing  their  game  as  they  understood  it, 
in  favor  of  Great  Britain.  From  1896  on,  difficulties  between  the  Eng- 
lish and  the  Boers  increased;  and,  finally,  in  1899,  resulted  in  the  war 
which  has  raged  for  nearly  three  years.  In  the  midst  of  armed  contest, 
Mr.  Rhodes  was  apparently  pushed  to  one  side  by  the' home  government 
which  may  or  may  not  have  been  jealous  of  his  influence  in  South  Africa. 
For  the  last  two  or  three  years,  Mr.  Rhodes  has  been  compelled  to  fore- 
go the  execution  of  some  of  his  great  plans,  in  consequence  of  the  war. 
Among  the  most  notable  of  his  great  propositions  is  the  Cape  to  Cairo 
railroad,  which  it  was  Mr.  Rhodes'  determined  purpose  to  bring  about. 
It  will  be  interesting  to  note  the  diversity  of  views  that  are  sure  to  ex- 
ist in  the  commentaries. upon  the  life  and  character  of  Cecil  Rhodes.  That 
in  some  respects  he  was  an  unscrupulous  man,writers,perhaps,  must  gen- 
erally admit.  At  the  same  time  he  was  a  man  of  progressive  spirit,  of 
great  enterprise,  and  of  broad  views.  He  had  certain  great  elements  of 
a  statesman  in  him;  and,  had  he  lived,  there  were  those  who  believed 
that  some  day  he  would  be  the  Prime  Minister  of  England.  One  of  his 
ideals  was  embodied  in  his  efforts  to  promote  something  of  a  world-em- 
pire, and  thereby  unite  the  great  Anglo-Saxon  race,  found  in  England, 
America,  South  Africa  and  Australia.  He  believed  that  England  was  the 
most  glorious  nation  in  the  world,  and  was  the  great  leader  of  modern 
thought.  His  ideas  about  the  amalgamation  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  races 
are  embodied  in  his  will,  some  parts  of  which  have  been  made  public. 


CURRENT  STORY  OF  THE  WORLD.  547 

He  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  scholarships  at  Oxford  University, 
England,  and  for  that  purpose  endowed  each  scholarship  with  an  annual 
endowment  of  one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  a  year  each,a  most  liberal 
allowance.  The  beneficiaries  of  these  scholarships  were  to  be  young  men 
from  the  British  Colonies  and  the  United  States.  He  was,  perhaps,  more 
liberal  to  the  United  States  than  to  any  of  the  colonies  of  Great  Britain. 
By  the  provisions  of  his  will,  each  state  and  territory  of  the  Unified 
States  will  receive  two  scholarships.  This  means  that  some  day,  two 
young  men  from  Utah  may  become  students  at  Oxford  University.  Of 
course,  the  purpose  of  this  bequest  is  the  spreading  of  English  ideals, 
and  the  amalgamation  of  Anglo-Saxon  interests.  Mr.  Rhodes  would 
make  Oxford  the  great  center  of  educational  life,  and  he  would  make  it 
the  initiative  point  of  the  world's  political  and  national  influences.  He 
would  have  all  the  off-shoots  of  the  English-speaking  race  look  to  Ox- 
ford, and  that  part  of  English  life  for  which  the  university  stands.  In 
behalf  of  Utah,  we  thank  you,  Mr.  Rhodes. 

The  New  Republic. 

A  date  has  finally  been  fixed  for  the  inauguration  of  President  Pal- 
ma  of  Cuba.  Cuba's  new  President  will  now  transfer  his  home  from 
the  United  States  to  Havana.  The  date  fixed  for  the  ceremonies  is  the 
20th  of  May,  when  the  new  goverment  will  be  inaugurated,  and  the 
United  States  will  proceed  at  once  to  withdraw  its  soldiers  and  relinquish 
control  of  the  Island.  However,  before  President  Palma  is  inaugurated, 
the  Cuban  Congress  will  be  convened,  in  order  that  the  new  constitution 
may  be  promulgated,and  in  order  that  the  new  President  and  the  legislat- 
ure may  proceed  to  the  transaction  of  such  initial  business  as  is  neces- 
sary to  set  the  machinery  of  the  new  government  in  motion;  and  Cuba, 
after  centuries  of  misrule  and  repeated  disappointments  in  her  efforts  to 
secure  independence,  is  now  born  to  new  life.  Notwithstanding  the  pro- 
pitious circumstances  surrounding  the  birth  of  this  new  republic,  there 
are  clouds  hanging  over  Cuba  and  her  people,  misgivings  about  the  fu- 
ture prosperity  of  the  Island.  Sugar,  like  cotton  was  in  the  early  days 
of  the  American  republic,  is  king,  but  the  high  tariff  in  this  country  is 
almost  a  prohibition  on  the  importation  of  Cuban  sugar,  and  Cuba  has 
applied  to  us  for  relief.  The  question  now  before  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States  is  whether  we  shall  favor  her  by  a  reduction  of  our  tariff. 
At  the  present  writing,  it  seems  as  if  we  should  yield  to  something  like 
twenty  per  cent.  The  present  tariff  is  about  $1.67  per  hundred  weight. 
A  reduction  of  one-fifth  would  be  about  33  2-5  cents  per  hundred  weight. 
This  will  be  some  relief  to  Cuba,but  not  what  they  so  much  desire. 


548  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

The  United  States  has  just  cause  to  congratulate  herself  upon  a 
most  magnanimous  policy  shown  toward  the  people  of  Cuba.  Our  blood 
has  been  shed,  and  our  treasure  freely  expended  to  promote  and  secure 
Cuban  liberty.  There  are  other  countries,  no  doubt,  that  would  have 
created  one  pretext  or  another  to  gain  permanent  control  of  the  Island. 
When  our  policy  is,  therefore,  compared  with  that  of  England,  in  South 
Africa  and  Egypt;  with  that  of  France,  in  North  Africa  and  China;  that 
of  Germany,  in  Shantung;  and  that  of  Russia,  in  Manchuria,  Cuba  has 
abudant  cause  for  gratitude,  and  we,  reasons  for  self-congratulation. 
Our  policy  of  temporary  occupation  is  perhaps  the  only  single  instance 
in  modern  times  in  which  temporary  occupation  has  been  exactly  what 
the  words  imply. 

There  are  those,  however,  who  hope,  if  not  expect,  that  some  day 
Cuba  will  apply  for  admission  in  the  Union,  and  they  will  doubtless  do 
all  that  they  can  to  encourage  a  relationship  likely  to  bring  about  their 
desires.  However,  if  Cuba  maintains  a  stable  government,  and  offers  to 
the  United  States  reciprocal  advantages  of  trade,  it  is  quite  likely  this 
country  will  prefer  that  Cuba  remain  as  it  is,  an  independent  repu,blic. 

Sug:af. 

The  consumption  and  production  of  sugar  throughout  the  world 
have  given  rise,  in  late  years,  to  the  strongest  competition  among  the 
nations  of  Europe,  and  the  United  States,  to  promote  a  largely  increased 
output.  Germany  and  France  have  been  vieing  with  each  other  in  the 
production  of  beet  sugar;  and,  in  order  to  increase  the  market  abroad 
for  their  sugar  products,  they  have  given  large  bounties  to  their  sugar 
producers.  This  bounty  has  been  constantly  increased,  until  it  reached 
thirty-five  cents  per  hundred  weight.  Of  course,  this  meant  cheaper 
sugar  to  those  countries  who  admitted  it  free,  or  practically  free,  of  duty. 
The  bounty  system  there  has  been  overworked,  and  lately  there  has  been 
a  conference  of  these  nations,  in  Brussels,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
uniform  reduction  in  the  bounty  system,  and,  perhaps,  in  the  end  a  re- 
moval of  the  bounty  altogether.  One  of  the  alleged  reasons  in  Europe 
for  giving  high  bounties,  has  been  the  excuse  from  each  nation  that  it 
was  simply  meeting  the  competition  of  its  rivals.  The  consumption  of 
sugar  has  grown  so  wonderfully  in  the  past  thirty  years  that  its  en- 
couragement is  a  matter  of  national  importance.  In  1870,  it  was  esti- 
mated that  the  total  production  of  sugar  was  2,750,000  tons  per  year. 
Today  it  is  estimated  at  8,500,000  tons  per  year.  In  1870,  two-thirds 
of  the  production  was  cane  sugar,  now  it  is  the  other  way,  and  beet  sugar 
production  is  double  that  of  the  cane  sugar. 


EDITOR^S   TABLE. 


THE  PRIESTHOOD  AND  ITS   OFFICES. 

In  the  Era  for  February,  it  was  stated  that  several  persons 
who  had  acted  as  counselors  in  the  First  Presidency  had  never 
been  ordained  apostles.  Several  correspondents  have  objected  to 
the  statement  that  Sidney  Rigdon,  Jedediah  M.  Grant,  Daniel  H. 
Wells,  John  R.  Winder,  and  others,  were  not  ordained  apostles.  We 
still  maintain,  upon  lack  of  convincing  evidence  to  the  contrary, 
that  none  of  these  brethren  was  ever  ordained  an  apostle.  We  do 
know  positively  that  John  R.  Winder,  Sidney  Rigdon,  Wm.  Law  and 
Hyrum  Smith,  all  of  whom  were  members  in  the  First  Presidency 
of  the  Church,  were  never  ordained  apostles.  But,  be  that  as  it 
may,  however,  the  main  point  we  wish  to  make  is  this,  that  it  was 
not  necessary  that  they  should  so  be  ordained  apostles  in  order  to 
hold  the  position  of  counselor  in  the  First  Presidency.  The  leading 
fact  to  be  remembered  is  that  the  Priesthood  is  greater  than  any 
of  its  offices;  and  that  any  man  holding  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood 
may,  by  virtue  of  its  possession,  perform  any  ordinance  pertaining 
thereto,  or  connected  therewith,  when  called  upon  to  do  so  by  one 
holding  the  proper  authority, which  proper  authority  is  vested  in  the 
President  of  the  Church,  or  in  any  whom  he  may  designate.  Every 
officer  in  the  Church  is  under  his  direction,  and  he  is  directed  of  God. 
He  is  also  selected  of  the  Lord  to  be  the  head  of  the  Church,  and  so 
becomes,  when  the  Priesthood  of  the  Church,  (which  includes  its 
officers,)  and  its  members,  shall  have  so  accepted  and  upheld  him. 
(Doctrine  and  Covenants  section  107:22).  No  man  can  justly  pre- 
sume to  have  authority  to  preside,  merely  by  virtue  of  his  Priesthood, 
as  is  the  case  with  Joseph  Smith  of  the  reorganized  church,  for  in 
addition,  he  must  be  chosen  and  accepted  by  the  Church.  The  reverse 
was  the  case  with  him.  Such  action  was  repudiated  by  the  Twelve, 
the  quorum  in  authority  after  the  martyrdom,  and  by  the  whole 
Church.  An  office  in  the  Priesthood  is  a  calling,  like  Apostle,  High 
Priest,  Seventy,  Elder,  and  derives  all  its  authority  from  that  Priest- 


550  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

hood;  these  officers  hold  different  callings,  but  the  same  Priesthood. 

The  apostolic  office,  in  its  very  nature,  is  a  proselyting 
office.  When  an  Apostle  presides,  he,  like  the  High  Priest, 
the  Seventy,  the  Elder,  or  the  Bishop,  presides  because  of 
the  High  Priesthood  which  has  been  conferred  upon  him;  and 
furthermore,  because  he  has  been  called  upon  so  to  do  by 
the  acknowledged  head  of  the  Church.  (Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants, section  107:23-33.)  And  so  with  the  High  Priest  who  has 
been  called  to  officiate  in  the  First  Presidency,  in  which  case  he  is 
"accounted  equal"  with  the  President  of  the  Church  in  holding  the 
keys  of  the  Presidency,  (section  90:6)  as  long  as  the  President 
remains.  When  he  dies,  the  calling  of  his  counselors  ends,  and  the 
responsibility  of  Presidency  falls  upon  the  quorum  of  Twelve  Apos- 
tles, because  they  hold  the  Holy  Melchizedek  Priesthood  and  are  the 
next  quorum  in  authority.  (Doctrine  and  Covenants,  section  107:24) 
It  is  not  the  apostleship,  (Doctrine  and  Covenants  section  107)  but 
the  Priesthood  and  the  calling  by  proper  authority  which  enables  any 
person  to  preside.  Every  man  holding  the  Holy  Melchizedek  Priest- 
hood may  act  in  any  capacity  and  do  all  things  that  such  Priesthood 
authorizes,  it  makes  no  difference  what  office  in  that  Priesthood  he 
holds,  providing  he  is  called  upon  by  proper  authority  to  so  officiate; 
but  he  would  have  no  right  to  depart  from  the  limitations  of  his 
office,  unless  he  is  specially  called  upon  by  one  whose  calling,  from 
those  over  him  up  to  the  head,  would  clearly  authorize  him  to  give 
such  instructions.  It  is  always  to  be  presumed,  also,  that  order  will 
be  observed,  and  that  the  servants  of  the  Lord  will  not  depart  from 
that  order,  and  call  upon  men  to  do  things  which  the  law  of  the 
Priesthood  and  the  nature  of  their  office,  does  not  authorize,  unless 
there  is  special  occasion  for  it.  The  Lord  says  that  all  things  are 
governed  by  law.  (See  Doctrine  and  Covenants  section  88:42).  It 
is  not  consistent,  for  instance,  to  imagine  that  the  Lord  would  call 
upon  a  deacon  to  baptize. 

Witness  the  calling,  on  Feb.  14,  1835,  of  David  Whitmer  and 
Martin  Harris,  both  High  Priests,  by  the  Prophet  Joseph,  in  conform- 
ity with  prior  revelation  from  God  (see  Doctrine  and  Covenants  sec- 
tion 18)  to  "search  out  the  Twelve."  They  chose  the  Twelve,  or- 
dained, and  set  them  apart  for  their  exalted  callings,  because  they 


EDITOR'S  TABLE.  551 

were  called  upon  by  the  prophet  of  God  who  had  been  instructed  of 
the  Lord,  and  also  because  these  men  held  the  necessary  authority  of 
the  Priesthood,  which  authority  was  exercised,  in  this  case  as  it 
should  be  in  all  cases,  upon  proper  calling.  The  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants makes  it  very  clear  that  while  each  officer  in  the  Church  has  a 
right  to  officiate  in  his  own  standing,  "The  Melchizedek  Priesthood 
holds  the  right  of  Presidency,  and  has  power  and  authority  over  all 
the  offices  in  the  Church  in  all  ages  of  the  world  to  administer  in 
spiritual  things."     (Doctrine  and  Covenants  section  107:8). 

Further,  in  the  same  revelation,  verses  65  and  66,  we  are  told: 

"Wherefore  it  must  needs  be  that  one  be  appointed  of  the 
High  Priesthood  to  preside  over  the  Priesthood,  and  he  shall  be 
called  President  of  the  High  Priesthood  of  the  Church; 

Or,  in  other  words,  the  Presiding  High  Priest  over  the  High 
Priesthood  of  the  Church." 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  the  term  "High  Priesthood,"  as 
frequently  used,  has  reference  to  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood,  in 
contradistinction  to  the  "Lesser,"  or  Aaronic  Priesthood. 

Joseph  F.  Smith, 
John  R.  Winder, 
Anthon  H.  Lund. 


B.  H.  ROBERTS. 


We  present  an  excellent  portrait  of  Elder  B.  H.  Roberts  in 
this  number  of  the  Improvement  Era.  Elder  Roberts,  who  is 
second  assistant  in  the  General  Superintendency  of  the  Y.  M.  M.  L 
A.,  and  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of  education  and  advancement  for 
the  young  people,  was  born  in  Warington,  Lancashire,  England, 
March  13,  1857.  He  is  the  son  of  Benjamin  and  Ann  Roberts.  In 
1866,  he  emigrated  to  Utah  with  his  eldest  sister,  and  settled  with 
his  mother  in  Bountiful,  Davis  County,  whither  she  had  preceded 
him  four  years,  and  had  established  a  home. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  blacksmith 
in  the  settlement,  and  made  his  home  there  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  was  connected  with  the  early  movements  of  the  Improvement 


552  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

Associations,  which  were  first  organized  in  1875,  and  for  two  years 
was  the  Superintendent  of  the  associations  of  the  Davis  stake  of 
Zion,  which  position  he  quit  when  called  on  his  first  mission  to  the 
Northern  States,  in  1880.  Nine  months  after  arriving  in  that 
field,  he  was  transferred  to  the  South,  where  he  served  for 
two  years,  at  the  close  of  which  time,  he  was  called  to  assist 
in  the  presidency  of  the  Southern  States  mission,  over  which  he 
afterwards  had  direct  charge  for  three  years.  In  1886,  he  was 
temporarily  released  and  became  the  associate  editor  of  the  Salt 
Lake  Herald.  While  acting  in  this  capacity,  he  was  arrested,  dur- 
ing 'the  raid,"  on  the  then  prevailing  charge.  He  avoided  having 
his  case  brought  to  trial  at  that  time,  and  with  the  consent  of  his 
bondsmen  and  the  advice  of  his  brethren,  went  to  Great  Britain, 
where  he  served  in  the  mission  field  two  years,  chiefly  engaged  in 
editing  the  Millennial  Star.  He  returned  in  the  fall  of  1888,  and 
at  the  October  conference  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  First 
Council  of  Seventy,  being  ordained  under  the  hands  of  the  late 
President  Lorenzo  Snow,  in  which  capacity  he  has  continued  to 
faithfully  serve  up  to  the  present  time.  Following  this  ordination, 
he  visited,  during  the  ensuing  years,  all  parts  of  the  Church, 
preaching  to  the  people  generally  and  assisting  in  the  building  up 
of  the  Stakes  of  Zion.  He  filled  several  brief  missions  in  the  mean- 
time— one  to  the  Eastern  States,  with  Elder  John  Morgan,  the 
purpose  of  which  was  to  stem  the  tide  of  misrepresentation  which 
was  then  running  against  the  Latter-day  Saints.  Subsequently  he 
filled  a  call  to  Mexico  and  California.  In  a  later  or  second 
mission  to  the  Coast  with  Apostle  Francis  M.  Lyman,  he  assisted 
in  opening  the  California  mission,  which  was  established  in  1893. 
In  July,  1896,  he  was  appointed  a  second  time  to  go  to  the  East- 
ern States,  in  company  with  Elders  George  D.  Pyper,  Melville 
Ballard  and  Edward  Midgley.  During  this  trip,  he  visited 
Kansas  City,  St.  Louis,  (where  he  organized  a  branch  of  the  Church) 
Cincinnati,  Pittsburg,  Philadelphia,  Brooklyn,  New  York  and 
Chicago,  speaking  in  all  these  large  cities;  the  special  purpose  of 
their  visit  being  to  allay  prejudice  against  the  Latter-day  Saints, 
and  open  missions  in  these  cities. 

Prior  to  his  departure  upon  this  latter  journey,  he  outlined  a 


EDITORS  TABLE.  553 

scheme  for  the  revival  of  the  labors  among  the  Young  Men's  Mutual 
Improvement  Associations.  A  letter  embodying  his  views  on  the 
subject  was  sent  to  President  Wilf ord  Woodruff,  and  favorably  con- 
sidered. As  a  result,  there  was  a  general  revival  inaugurated  by  a 
series  of  lectures  given  in  the  Salt  Lake  Tabernacle,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  associations.  These  were  later  repeated  in  Ogden 
and  Provo,  and  gave  a  new  impetus  to  the  cause  of  Mutual 
Improvement.  Missionaries  were  called;  the  General  Board  was 
more  fully  organized,  and  weekly  meetings  held;  the  Manual  was 
devised  and  issued  by  them,  and  the  Improvement  Era,  of  which 
Elder  Roberts  became  the  associate  editor,  was  established  in  Octo- 
ber, 1897;  the  whole  resulting  in  a  wide-spread  improvement  among 
the  young  people. 

In  1898,  Elder  Roberts  was  elected,  by  the  Democratic  Party, 
representative  from  Utah  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
He  had  before  this  engaged  in  politics,  having  served  in  the  Legis- 
lature and  also  in  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  the  State  of 
Utah,  in  which,  as  in  all  things  to  which  he  applies  his  mind,  he 
took  a  leading  part  and  an  active  interest. 

His  writings  are  found  in  nearly  every  household  of  the  Saints; 
the  "Life  of  John  Taylor,"  the  "Gospel,"  "A  New  Witness  for  God," 
"Ecclesiastical  History,  "The  Missouri  Persecutions,"  and  "Rise 
and  Fall  of  Nauvoo,"  being  his  principal  works. 

At  the  April,  1902,  conference,  he  was  sustained  as  one  of  the 
assistants  of  the  Church  Historian,  and  he  has  been  engaged  for  a 
year  past  in  the  arduous  task  of  editing  "The  History  of  the  Church," 
a  voluminous  work,  the  first  book  of  which  will  soon  appear. 

Elder  Roberts  is  a  man  of  broad  views  and  splendid  oratorical 
ability,  and  is  a  deep  thinker,  a  genial  associate,  and  a  leader,  in- 
deed, among  the  people. 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS. 


"Why  Children  arc  Baptized  When  Ei8:ht  Years  Old. 

Why  are  children  who  are  eight  years  of  age,  who  have  committed 
no  sin,  baptized,  baptism  being  for  the  remission  of  sins? 

The  question  as  to  whether  children   who  are  eight  years  of 


554  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

age  have  no  sin,  we  need  not  discuss.  Baptism  is  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins,  and  it  is  doubtless  true  that  all  who  have  lived  to  the 
age  of  accountability  (fixed  by  direct  revelation  to  the  Church  at 
eight  years,  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  section  68:  25-28)  have 
sinned,  and  are,  besides,  in  need  of  baptism  in  order  to  "enter  in- 
to the  Kingdom  of  Heaven."  Baptism  must  be  performed  at  some 
time  in  the  case  of  every  one  that  would  be  saved.  When  it  is  per- 
formed by  proper  authority,and  with  a  manifestation  of  sincerity  on 
the  part  of  the  candidate,  it  is  efficacious  for  the  remission  of  sins. 
Let  it  be  emphasized  that  this  baptism  must  be  performed  once  in 
the  case  of  each  individual,  and  thereby  he  secures  the  remission 
of  his  sins.  The  sins  of  a  lifetime  are  thus  remitted,  conditional 
upon  sincere  repentance,  both  before  and  after  baptism.  Since  it 
makes  no  difference,  apparently,  so  far  as  its  efficacy  is  concerned, 
at  what  time  in  the  person's  life  this  baptism  occurs — it  may  be 
appointed  by  revelation  and  it  has  been  so  appointed  at  the  eighth 
year,  which  alone,  is  an  all  sufficient  reason  why  children  should  be 
baptized  at  that  age.  It  is  also  a  good  reason  why  they  should 
not  be  baptized  before  that  age,  since  only  the  accountable  should 
receive  baptism. 

But  there  is  another  reason  for  setting  the  time  for  this  ordi- 
nance at  eight  years.  Baptism  has  for  one  of  its  objects  admit- 
tance into  the  Church  of  Christ;  it  has  for  its  objects  the  "Fulfill- 
ing of  all  righteousness,"  as  well  as  the  remission  of  sins.  In  the 
case  of  children  the  age  of  entrance  into  the  Church  is  eight  years, 
hence,  baptism  is  performed  at  that  time  for  the  double  purpose 
of  remission  of  sins  and  admittance  into  the  Church.  The  proper 
time  for  baptism  is  the  time  when  the  candidate  is  ready  to  become 
a  member  of  the  Church — children  of  Latter-day  Saint  parentage, 
at  eight  years;  adults,  at  the  time  of  their  conversion.  Whether 
the  person  is  eight  years  of  age,  or  eighty,  the  baptism  which  ad- 
mits into  the  Church  is  efficacious  for  the  remission  of  sins  if  ac- 
companied, before  and  afterwards,  by  sincere  repentance.  If 
baptism  accomplished  the  remission  merely  of  sins  pres^iously  com- 
mitted, it  would  seem  less  needful  to  baptize  a  child  at  eight  years, 
but  in  the  light  of  the  explanation  given  above,  the  wisdom  of  the 
requirement  is  apparent. 


NOTES. 


We  can  have  animals  without  sympathy,  and  we  can  have  low,  rude 
men  without  sympathy,  but  without  it  there  is  no  high  form  of  manhood. 
Coarseness  is  callousness.  A  blunt  nature  is  a  form  of  vulgarity.  The 
seared  conscience  may  not  be  sensitive,  but  sympathy  is  fineness  of  fibre 
and  delicacy  of  structure,  united  with  volume  and  strength.  Just  be- 
cause Jesus  Christ  is  the  ideal  man,  he  rejoices  with  those  who  rejoice 
and  weeps  with  those  who  weep.  The  violinist,  standing  at 
one  end  of  a  corridor,  will  play  softly  on  his  instrument,  but 
if  you  put  your  ear  down  to  a  violin  lying  on  a  table  in  the 
next  room,  by  listening,  you  will  hear  the  tune  played  over  again,  and 
repeated  by  the  second  instrument  that  precisely  answers  to  the  first. 
Christ  found  the  world  filled  with  groans  and  tears  and  sorrows,  and  he 
who  puts  his  ear  close  to  the  Christ  will  find  echoed  back  all  the  still, 
sad  music  of  humanity.  The  soul  is  an  aeolian  harp,  that  ought  to  an- 
swer the  faintest  zephyr  with  a  song.  There  is  no  test  of  manhood  like 
sympathy  that  enters  into  and  answers  back  all  the  overtures  from 
heaven  and  earth,  from  God  and  man.  Sympathy  cannot  behold  a  vine 
torn  from  its  wall  without  pinning  the  bruised  boughs  back  to  their 
places.  Sympathy  cannot  see  the  ship  sailing  out  of  the  harbor  without 
wishing  a  good  voyage  and  safe  return.  Sympathy  cannot  see  a  youth 
going  out  to  make  his  fortune  without  stopping  to  pray  that  the  youth 
may  return  laden  with  treasure,  indeed,  but  also  bringing  his  unstained 
virtue  with  him.  Sympathy's  eyes  are  painted  as  bright,  but  the  bright- 
ness is  generally  tears.  Indeed,  it  is  sympathy  that  betokens  intel- 
lectual power.  There  never  was  a  great  poet,  or  dramatist,  or  orator 
who  did  not  excel  his  fellows  in  sympathy  as  truly  as  in  intellect.  — Dr. 
Newell  Dwight  Hillis. 

Sad  will  be  the  day  for  any  man  when  he  becomes  absolutely  con- 
tented with  the  life  he  is  living,  with  the  thoughts  he  is  thinking,  and 
the  deeds  that  he  is  doing, — when  there  is  not  forever  beating  at  the 
doors  of  his  soul  some  great  desire  to  do  something  larger  which  he 
knows  that  he  was  meant  and  made  to  do  because  he  is  a  child  of  God. — 
Phillips  Brooks. 


OUR  WORK. 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  OF  THE  MUTUAL  IMPROVEMENT 
ASSOCIATIONS. 


It  has  been  decided  by  the  conjoint  boards  of  Young  Men's  and 
Young  Ladies'  Mutual  Improvement  associations,  to  hold  the  annual 
conference  on  the  thirtieth  and  thirty-first  of  May  and  the  first  of  June, 
1902,  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

The  Mutual  Improvement  cause  is  one  of  great  importance  in  the 
Church,  and  at  the  coming  conference  many  useful  instructions  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  the  societies  and  the  labors  of  the  officers  will 
be  imparted  by  members  of  the  General  Board.  No  officer  can  afford  to 
miss  this  opportunity  of  familiarizing  himself  with  the  duties  that  will 
devolve  upon  him  in  the  labors  of  the  coming  year,  and,  consequently, 
cannot  afford  to  absent  himself  from  the  meetings  of  this  general  con- 
ference. On  Friday  and  Saturday,  meetings  of  the  officers  will  be  held 
separately,  and  on  the  Sunday  following,  general  conjoint  meetings  will 
be  held  in  the  Tabernacle,  to  which  the  public  and  all  the  workers  of 
the  associations  are  earnestly  invited.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  every 
stake  of  Zion  and  every  ward  in  the  Church  will  at  least  have  a  repre- 
sentative present  in  each  of  the  officers'  meetings. 


THE  NEW  MANUAL. 


Manual  6,  for  the  year  1902-3,  is  now  being  prepared  by  the  com- 
mittee of  the  General  Board.  It  will  treat  on  the  Principles  of  the  Gos- 
pel, being  a  continuation  of  last  year's  Manual  under  this  title,  and  will 
contain  five  leading  topics  under  the  headings  that  follow: 

1.  Universal  Application  of  the  Gospel;  2.  The  Church  3. 
Mission  of  the  Church;  4.  Ethics  of  the  Gospel;  and  5.  The  Resurrection. 
These  general  subjects  will  be  divided  into  about  twenty  lessons;  and  the 


OUR  WORK.  557 

Manual,  besides  treating  upon  the  Eternity  of  the  Fundamental  Princi- 
ples, the  Successive  Dispensations,  Work  for  the  Dead,  Church  Organi- 
zation, Forms  and  Ceremonies,  Revelation,  Gathering,  the  Resurrection 
and  the  Judgment,  will  also  deal  with  the  Philosophy  of  the  Gospel,  and 
Practical  Religion,  including  honesty,  temperance,  chastity,  marriage, 
tithing,  consecration,  etc.    Preliminary  programs  will  be  continued. 

The  purpose  of  the  Manual,  and  methods  for  teaching,  will  be  among 
the  important  instructions  that  will  be  offered  by  members  of  the  Board 
to  the  officers  of  the  associations  convened  in  the  coming  conference.  As 
there  are  many  new  officers  who  will  necessarily  take  the  place  of  others 
who  have  been  either  promoted  to  the  Priesthood  quorums,  or  called 
away  upon  foreign  missions,  or  who  have  been  assigned  to  other  labors 
in  the  Church,  it  is  very  necessary  that  the  stake  and  ward  organiza- 
tions should  be  complete,  and  that  each  stake  and  ward  should  be  properly 
represented  by  officers  that  will  remain  with  the  associations  for  the 
season  coming.  The  Y,  M.  M.  I.  A.  are  always  supplied  with  many  new 
officers,  and  it  is  especially  important  that  these  should  attend  the  con- 
ference, so  that  they  may  become  familiarized  with  the  duties  that  will 
devolve  upon  them  in  their  labors  with  the  youth  of  Zion. 


DO  SOMETHING  DURING  SUMMER. 


Too  much  stress  cannot  be  laid  upon  the  necessity  of  keeping  the 
interest  of  the  young  men  and  the  public  alive  in  the  associations  and 
their  work  during  the  summer  vacation.  Some  methods  should  be 
adopted  by  the  officers  of  every  stake  to  this  end.  Conjoint  meetings  of 
special  interest  should  be  held,  and  other  means  employed  to  engage  the 
young  people  in  social,  literary  and  educational  directions.  In  the  Weber 
stake,  a  series  of  lectures  has  been  arranged  for  by  Superintendent  John 
L.  Herrick.  These  will  be  held  in  the  Ogden  Tabernacle,  and  the  general 
public  are  invited  to  attend.     The  dates  and  speakers  follow: 

April  22,  Tuesday,  7:30  p.  m.,  "Our  Pre-existence  and  the  Godhead," 
Elder  B.  H.  Roberts.  April  29,  Tuesday,  7:30  p.  m.,  "The  Three  Glories," 
Elder  Charles  W.  Penrose.  May  4,  Sunday,  2  p.  m.,  "Analysis  of  Faith," 
Professor  James  E.  Talmage.  May  13,  Tuesday,  7:30  p.  m.,  "Repent- 
ance and  Baptism,"  Elder  Nephi  L.  Morris. 

The  Era  will  gladly  print  suggestions  from  the  officers  of  any  stake 
on  how  best  to  employ  the  vacation. 


EVENTS  OF  THE  MONTH. 

BY  THOMAS  HULL,  GENERAL  SECRETARY  OF  Y.  M.  M.  L  A. 


Local — March  16 — The  Salt  Lake  Stake  conference  convened  and  was 

more  largely  attended  than  any  other  ever  held Susan  Tullidge, 

widow  of  historian  Edward  W.  TuUidge,    died 19 — Senator 

Kearns  lodges  a  protest  with  the  President  against  the  withdrawal  of  so 

much  public  land  in  Utah  for  forest  reserves An  enthusiastic 

celebration  is  held  in  Ogden  to  commemorate  the  beginning  of  work  on  the 

Lucin  cut- off 18 — Senator  Rawlins  causes  a  lively  debate  in  the 

Senate  in  an  effort  to  have  printed  in  the  Record  some  Philippine  cor- 
respondence  The  Tabernacle  choir  are  cheered  by  the  students 

of  the  University  of  California 19 — Rain   was  general  all  day 

over  Utah 20 — Polks'  directory  just  issued  gives  the  popula- 
tion of  Salt  Lake    City  proper  at  75,000;   city   and  suburbs,   89,551 

22 — Robert  Mawson,  aged  85,  of  Mill  Creek,  Salt  Lake  county, 

died The  Eighteenth  Ward  square  was  purchased  by  Mrs.  E. 

F.  Holmes  for  $35,000 23 — James  Glendinning,  born  Scot- 
land, July  31,  1844,  formerly  mayor  of  Salt  Lake  City,  died  in  Spokane, 
Wash 24 — The  Salt  Lake  Tabernacle  choir  returned  from  the  Paci- 
fic coast  after  an  enjoyable  trip 25 — James  S.  Brown,  born 

North  Carolina,  July  4,  1829,  a  member  of  the  "Mormon"  battalion  and 

with  the  discoverers  of  gold  in  California,  died  in  Salt  Lake  City 

Henry  Mainwaring,  born  England,  Feb.  10,  1827,  died  in  Springville, 
Utah  Co 26 — ^W.  M.  Bradley  succeeds  W.  C.  Weaver  as  re- 
ceiver of  the  Ogden  Water  Works 27 — The  bill  providing  for 

a  miner's  home  on  the  Fort  Douglas  reserve  is  favorably  reported  to  the 

Senate 30 — Sam.   Collins  was  found  murdered  near  Ensign 

Peak 31 — The  mining  dividends  in  Utah  for  March  were  $360,- 

500;  stock  sales,  2,454,287  shares  for  $1,570,525.25;  ore  and  bullion 
settlements,  $1,410,190 The  local  land  office  is  directed  to  with- 
draw 18  sections  in  Manti  Canyon  for  a  forest  reserve Wm. 

H.  Davis,  age  78,  a  pioneer  of  1866,  died  in  Pleasant  Grove,  Utah  Co. 

April  1 — John  Sears,  born  England,  October,  1822,  died  in  Salt  Lake 
City Senator  Rawlins'  bill  for  a  fish  hatchery  in  Utah  is  fav- 


EVENTS  OF  THE  MONTH.  559 

orably  reported The  State  Irrigation  Congress  of  Utah  per- 
manently organized:  A.  J.  Evans,  president;  A.  F.  Doremus,  vice-presi- 
dent; Geo.  C.  Lambert,  Sen.,    secretary 4 — The  State  Live 

Stock  association  was  organized:  John  H.  White,  president;  Wesley  K. 

Walton,  secretary;   J.  C.  Leary,  treasurer The  72d  annual 

conference   of   the  Church   opened,  Joseph   P.  Smith,  presiding,  with  a 

larger  attendance  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  Church 

5 — The  aggregate  sales  of  Z.  C.  M.  L  for  last  fiscal  year  was  four  mil- 
lion dollars 6 — At  the  closing  speech  of  conference,  President 

John  R.  Winder,  announced  that  since  the  Salt  Lake  Temple  was  com- 
pleted 685,966  ordinances  have  been  performed  therein.  A  feature  of 
the  conference  was  the  first  report  from  the  mission  in  Japan  by  Apostle 

Heber  J.  Grant At  the  Sunday  School  Union  meeting,  it  was 

announced  that  the  Sunday  Schools  have  increased  to  1055,  a  gain  of  75 
during  the  year,  with  129,632  officers,  teachers  and  pupils,  a  gain  of  6,148 

7 — There  was  a  terrific  wind  and  rain  storm  over  Salt  Lake 

Valley W.  M.  Roylance  of  Provo  is  elected  Democratic  State 

chairman John  Scrowcroft,   born  England,   Dec.  9,  1844,  a 

prominent  citizen  of  Utah,  died  at  his  home  in  Ogden 9 — Clyde 

Felt,  pleads  not  guilty  to  murdering  Samuel  Collins,  for  which  crime  he 

was  recently  arrested  on  his  own  confession Henry  Lee,  born 

England,  Jan.  11,  1841,  came  to  Utah  in  1852,  died  in  American  Fork, 

yesterday 11 — J.  E.  Langford  was  elected  manager  of  Saltair 

Go's,  property The  Brigham  City  electric  line  is  incorporated. 

13 — The  sectarian  ministers  commend  President  Joseph  F. 

Smith  for  his  decision  to  abolish  the  sale  of  liquor  at  Saltair.  

14 — Matilda  M.  Barratt,  born  England,  January  17,  1837,  donor  of  $24,- 
000  to  L.  D.  S.  University  for  Barratt  memorial  building,  died  in  Salt 
Lake  City. 

Domestic — March  16 — ^North  Dakota  is  swept  by  a  fearful  blizzard 

17 — The  ship  subsidy  bill  passes  the  Senate  by  a  majority  of  11 

The  Dakotas  are  snowbound  with  the  thermometer  ranging 

from  10  to  16  below  zero 18 — Hoboken,  N.  J.,  has  a  million  dollar 

fire  in   which  two  lives  are  lost 20 — Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles 

threatens  to  resign  if  the  War  Department  military  bill  passes  Congress 

21 — The  bill  providing  for  the  protection  of  the  President  passes  the 

Senate 23 — Four    additional  cases  of   cholera   are  reported 

from  Manila. 24 — C.  F.  W.  Neeley  was  fined  $56,701,  and  sen- 
tenced to  ten  years  in  prison  for  complicity  in  the  Cuban  postal  frauds. 

W.  W.  Reeves  and  E.  G.  Rathbone  received  similar  punishment 

The  President  and  cabinet  fix  the  date  of  turning  over  Cuba  to  its  people 


560  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 

at  May  20,  1902 27 — In  a  message  to  Congress,  President  Roose- 
velt asks  authority  to  appoint  diplomatic  and  consular  representatives  of 

the  U.  S.  in  Cuba The  alleged   Captain  Christmas  frauds  in  the 

purchase  of  the  Danish  West  Indies  were  aired  in  the  House  by  Richard- 
son of  Tenn 28 — Henry  Clay  Evans,  commissioner  of  pensions  has 

placed  his  resignation  with  the  President 29 — Loss  by  floods 

in  Tennessee  reaches  over  one  million  dollars. 

April  3 — The  Senate  passes  the  Oleomargarine  bill At 

the  House  hearing  of  the  Christmas  charges,  these  were  proved  false 

Twelve  hotels  are  destroyed  by  fire  in  Atlantic  City,  entailing  a 

loss  of  $750.000 7 — The  House  passed  the  Chinese  exclusion 

bill President  Roosevelt  makes  several  speeches  in  Virginia 

on  his  way  to  Charleston 8— President  Roosevelt  is  given 

a  great  ovation  in  Charleston,  S.  C 10 — The  President  after  thank- 
ing the  people  for  the  splendid  welcome  accorded  him,  bids  farewell  to  the 
South,  at  Summerville,  S.  C 11 — Cuban  reciprocity  debate  con- 
tinues in  the  House 12 — Rev.  T.  DeWitt  Talmage,  the  noted 

Presbyterian  divine,  born  Jan.  7,  1832,  died  in  Washington,  D.  C. 

Foreign — March  17-Admiral  Prince  Henry  of  Prussia  set  foot  again 
on  German  soil  on  his  return  from  America 19 — Chinese  re- 
bels in  the  south  provinces  continue  to  defeat  the  imperial  troops  sent  to 
stop  the  rebellion 20 — John  Dillon,  Irish  Nationalist,  was  sus- 
pended from  the  House  of  Commons  for  calling  Secretary  Joseph  Cham- 
berlain a  liar 24 — An  armistice  has  been  arranged  in  South 

Africa 26 — Cecil  Rhodes,  the  "Uncrowned  King  of  Rhodesia,' 

died  at  Cape  Town,  South  Africa,  in  the  49th  year  of  his  age 

31 — 70,000  deaths  are  reported  monthly  in  Pan  jab,  India,  from  the 
plague. 

April  1 — Affairs   in  South   Africa  indicate  an  early  close  of  the 

war The  Mexican  congress  opened 3 — The  public 

funeral  of  Cecil  Rhodes  occurs  in  Cape  Town;  he  will  be  buried  at  Mo- 

toppa  Hill,  Rhodesia 4— The  will  of  Cecil  Rhodes  provides  for 

two  Oxford  scholarships  for  each  state  and  territory  of  the  U.  S.,  five 
from  Germany,  also  scholarships  for  each  of  the  British  colonies;  he 
leaves  an  estate  valued  at  $72,000,000 King  Leopold  of  Bel- 
gium was  mobbed  in  Brussels  by  Socialists  who  waved  red  flags  in  his  face 

10 — A  serious  revolt  is  reported  from  Brussels 

Peace  terms  in  South  Africa  have  been  agreed  upon 11 — Riots  in 

Belgium  are  liable  to  result  in  the  proclamation  of  martial  law 

13 — Quiet  has  again  been  restored  in  Belgium,  but  the  situation  con- 
tinues grave. 


D.  0.  CALDER'S  SONS  CO,,  i... 


Established  I860. 

DIKBCTORS. 
N.  W.  CLAYTON,  Pres. 
D.  G.  CALDEE,  Vice  Pres.  and  Mgr. 
J.  J.  M'CLELLAN,  Secty. 


Incorporated  1902. 

DIRECTORS. 

W.  C.  SPENCE,  Treaa. 
A.  L.  BRATTAIN. 
I.  A.  CLAYTON. 
S.  H.  CALDER. 


I 

I  FORTY-TWO    YEAR 3   lU   THE   IHOSIGflli  BUSINESS 

-t-  And  we  now  have  permission  from  the  State  nnier  our  articles  of  in- 

■^  corporation  t  '  coatinue  for    lOO  YEARS  TO  COM  E 

"♦■  During  the  past  we  have  sold  not  by  hundreds,  but  by  trainloads. 


PlflflOS 

Sjle   Agents, 
sole    Agents. 


STEIN  WAYS. 
MASON  &  HAMLINS, 
KIMKALL. 
BBHR  BROS, 
AND  OTHERS. 

KIMBALL, 

(Pipe  and  Reed. 
MASON  &  HAMLIN, 

Appjlio  Self  Piano  Player,  the  great- 
eat  piano  attachment  to  be  found  on 
the  market 


Small  payments;  easy  terms.  Our  success  in  the  past  came  from  honest  goods 
and  right  prices.    Our  success  for  the  future  by  the  same  route. 

Musical  merchand  SB,  sheet  m  isic,  classical,  popular.  In  fact  everything  that 
pertains  to  music.  A  few  new  pianos  for  rent. 

Mail  order  department  cannot  be  excelled. 

Three  floors,  45-47  W.  1st  So.,  Salt  Lake  City. 

Come  in  whether  you  buy  or  not,  you're  always  welcome. 

directors: 
J.  H.  Hendriclison,  President 
Joseph  F.  Smith,  Vice-President 
Rudger  Clawson 
Thomas  Hull 
M.  Christopherson 


WE  ARE  THE 


\" 


OF  THIS  CITY. 

We  have  with  us  men  of  twelve  years' 
experience.  When  you  send  to  us  for 
Garments  you  can  depend  on  receiving 
full  value  for  your  meney.  We  have  the 
only  "Seamless,"  Non-shrinkable  Wool 
Garments  for  sale  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

KNITTED  GARMENTS  ARE  OUR  SPECIALTY 

Prices  are  $i.oo.  $1.25,  $1.50,  $1.75, 
$2.00,  $2.50,  $3.00,  and  up.  Send  your 
height,  bust  measure,  and  weight,  and 
20c  for  portage  for  each  pair. 

Salt  Iiake  K^^itting  Works, 

C.   H.  THOt^STE]<lSEri,   lWg». 

58  fKeiin  Sttreet. 


BiCVCIiES. 


Everything  in  Sporting  Goods. 

BASE  BALLS,  CAMERAS, 
PHOTOGRAPHIC  SUPPLIES,  Etc 


WESTERN  ARMS  &  SPORTING  GOODS  CO., 

t15  South  Main  Street. 


(WHEN  WRITING  TO   ADVERTISERS  PLEASE  MENTION  THE  ERA.) 


THE  RIO  GHflNDE  WESTEHN 

.  .  .  ANt>  ... 

THEDEUVEHflliDHlOGWDE 

Best  lioeal  Train  Serviee  in  Utah. 

From  ten  to  forty  minutes  the  fastest  line 
between  Ogfden,  Salt  Lake  City,  Lehi,  Ameri- 
can Fork,  Provo,  Mammoth,  Eureka  and  all 
points  in  Sanpete,  Sevier  and  south. 

3  FAST  TRAINS  DAILY 

to  all  Eastern  points,  with  througfh  sleeping 
and  dining  cars  to  Denver,  Omaha, 
Kansas  City,  St.  Louis  and  Chicago. 
MAGNmCENT  SCENERY  EN  ROUTE,  j*  ji  ^ 

For  Rates,   etc.,  enquire  of    Local  Agent  or 

write ^"^^^"^ 

GEO.  W.  HEINTZ, 
Assistant  General  Passenger  Agent,  Salt  Lake  City. 


YOl  ARE  DELUDING  YOURSELF 
WHEN  YOU  SAY, 

"A  Telephone 
would  be  of 
no  use  to  me 
at  the  house/' 

TRY  IT  AND  SEE. 

Ask  any  of  your  many 
friends  who  have  it, 

ONE  DOLLAR  PER  MONTH  IS 
TOO  CHEAP  TO  REQUIRE  ARGU- 
MENT. 


PROVO  CLOTH 
ALL  WOOL  SUIT. 

SEND  ONE  DOLLAR- 
GET  AN  ALL  WOOL 
SUIT  subject  to  examina- 
tum  and  approval.  If  you 
recognize  a  bargain  when 
you  see  it  you  will  take  to 
this  at  once.  These  Provo's 
are  the  easiest  to  sell  of  any- 
thing we  have  ever  handled. 
They  are  the' finest  Mail  Or- 
der goods,  because  every- 
body in  this  whcile  country 
knows  exactly  what  they  are 
and  what  can  be  expected  of 
them  in  the  way  of  wear.  It's  Provo  Cloth 
Suit  Only  S9.25. 

STYLE,  FIT  AND  WORKMANSHIP. 
— This  elegaut  pitce  of  goods  is  a  s<.)lid  gray 
in  color,  made  up  in  round  cut,  sack  style, 
high  art  tailoring;  good  linings,  good  cut- 
ting; good  sewing  and  stitching  everywhere; 
in  fact,  the  kind  of  cloth  and  the  kind  of  tail- 
oring you  have  been  paying  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  $15  for  in  the  regular  retail  way. 
Don't  mi.«s  this  opportunity  to  get  a   Provo 

Suit  for  $9.25. 
HOW    TO    ORDER.— Send   one    dollar, 

so  we  shall  be  assured  you  mean  business, 
and  we  will  send  the  suit  to  your  nearest  ex- 
press office.  Before  you  pay  any  more  money 
you  may  examine  it  and  see  if  it  is  as  we  rep- 
resent it.  If  it  more  than  satisfies  you  and  you 
know  you  have  a  bargain,  pay  the  expresg 
agent  the  balance  due  and  the  express 
cnarges  and  keep  it. 

SIZE.— Send  size  of  coat  usually  worn; 
breast  measure  lor  the  coat  and  vest  and 
waist  and  inseam  for  the  pants.  We  send 
free  samples  of  the  cloth  on  application. 

WEST'S  MAIL  ORDER  HOUSE, 

205-206  Wittlnaham  Block,  Salt  Lttk»  CItf. 


(WHBN  WRiTllfO  TO  A.DVFRTISERS  PLBASB  MBNTIOM  THEERA.) 


1^    If  yoof  Cook   Can't  Make 
Good  Bread  with   ^  J>  j^ 


tlUSUER'S 


FLOUR 


Change  your  Cook. 


f 

? 
? 

I  I 

t   INTER-MOUNTAIN  MILLING  CO.,    % 
k  i 

A  R.  E.  MILLER.  HaDager.   V 

X  t 

3s  *♦* 


BARGAIN  SUIT 
BLACK  CLAY 


iI5 


Who  ever  beard  of  a  suit  of 
clothes  selling  at  such  a  ridic- 
ulous figure  as  $4.75,  that  is, 
we  mean,  a  good  suit;  a  fine 
weave  "BLACK  CLAY,"  only 
$4.75!  If  you  recognize  a  bar- 
gain when  you  see  It,  you 
would  thoroughly  appreciate 
this  magnificent  offer. 

A  SUIT  MADE  FOR 
HARD  WEAR.-lt  will  not 
only  wear  weil,  but  it  will  hold 
the  color  well;  that  is  more 
than  can  be  said  of  many  suits 
at  a  much  higher  price. 


FINE  BLACir 
CLAY  S4.  75 


WORKMANSH I  P.--Many 
suits  thai  sell  tor  aa  high  as  $20  have  no  bet- 
ter tailoring  than  is  represented  in  this  suit. 
That  is  a  characteristic  of  our  goods,  thatthe 
tail'iring  is  good,  resrardless  of  the  price. 
Htre  is  a  suit  at  $4.75,  thoroughly  well 
made.    Gunrantppd  to  tit. 

HOW  TO  ORDER.-Send  $1  as  a  gnar- 
aniee  of  good  taicn,  ana  your  nearest  express 
office  address,  and  we  will  send  you  the  suit. 
You  may  examine  it  without  paying  another 
cent  If  you  find  it  all  we  represent  it— well 
worth  more  than  we  ask,  pay  the  express 
j<gent  the  advertised  price,  less  the  $1  you 
sent  with  vonr  order,  and  keep  it. 

ORDER  AT  ONCE,  and  send  your  breast 
mea»uru  fur  coai  auU  vest;  waist  measure 
and  inseam  for  the  pants;  also  send  size  of 
coat  usually  worn.  We  send  samples  of  all 
of  our  goods  on  application. 

WEST'S  MAIL  ORDER  HOUSE, 

Office  205, 206  Wlttlngham  Block. 


Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad 


*« 


Operating  1421  Miles  of  Railroad  through 
the  Thriving  States  of 

DTAH,  IDAHO,  WYOMING,  OREGON  and  MONTANA. 


THE  ONLY  ROAD 


To  BUTTE,  Helena;  Portland,  and  the  north  pacific  coast. 


Pour  Daily  Trains  between  SAJLT  LAKE  CITY  and  OGDBN.    The  POFUIiAB 
liHSTB  to  all  Utah  Mining  Districts.    The  Only  Road  to  MERCUR. 


The  Fastest  Service  to  All  Points  East. 

BUY  YOUR  TICKETS  VIA  THE  "SHORT  LINE,"  UTAH'S 
FAVORITE  RAILROAD. 

City  Ticket  Office,  No.  100  West  Second  South  St.,  Salt  Lake  City. 

7.  M.  tCHUMACHER.  General  Traffic  Manager.  D.  E.  BURLEY,  Gen.  Pass,  and  Ticket  Agt 

W.  H.  BANCROFT.  Vice-Prest.  and  General  Manager. 


(WffBN  wBrrraa  to  advbbtiskbs  plbasb  mention  thb  bka 


.) 


t  ♦»»»»»»»  »»<hCh>^<h»<«»<»<»<h;»<^;«<»>>»,><><m{«<»<««}h»^ 


youno  Ladles  Panicuiariy 


are  interested  in  the  fact  that  the  choicest  spring 
and  summer 

•  DRESS  GOODS   flHD   j40VEbTIES 

are  at  Z.  C.  M.  L,  where  prices  are  the  lowest  in 
the  city,  quality  of  goods  considered.  Everything 
you  want,  from  a 

FINE  LACE  HANDKERCHIEF  TO  A 
COMPLETE  TAILOR  MADE    SUIT. 

all  in  the  finest  weaves  and  latest  styles,  at 


21.    O.     7^.      Im    'T.  G.   WEBBHl^,  Supt 


I H.  K.  THOPS  DHV  GOODS  GO.  1 


Oai»- 


t 


GREAT  flflflUflli 


X 
X 

*f 

X 

t 


X  FOH  Om  OIEEK, 


i* 


t  i: 

I         Bargains  in  all  Departments.        |